garden visions

During a collage workshop we envisioned a future for the urban garden. It was important to us to reflect on individual as well as collective parts. We brainstormed on our various ideas concerning different elements, garden layouts, common spaces for play and relaxation, and the distribution of responsibilities, economical considerations, a timeline, keeping animals, social networks, and future activities announcing the urban garden in the neighborhood and the city.

a potato tower; vegetables and herbs; sand for the children to play; bees in the future.

a promenade of a pergola of fruit trees and berry bushes, and a creek surrounding the plot; flowers, fruits and vegetables; places to sit, and places to play for kids and animals.

a lagoon-type aquarium with a fountain for fishes and for diving; an aviary for birds; terraces with large flowering cactus trees, sunflowers, and a bee house.

a herb and flower spiral, vegetables, salads, water, animals, a romantic and wild garden according to male/ female principles.

paths and walls made of found materials; a lawn; terraces planted with a mixture of flowers and vegetables; compost; places to relax, places for children.

a big tree; birds, bees and flying animals; an outdoor kitchen with a barbecue and tables as a place for conversation.

symbiosis: distinguishing various areas for common use; bees for pollination and observation will produce a shared product; flowers for bouquets; a vineyard for giving shade; trees and a meadow; a cafe for attracting the public to the garden; financial concept: commonly produced honey, juice, seeds, flowers, fruits and marmalade can be consumed and sold in the cafe, and given as gifts to neighbors for establishing friendly relationships.

establishing a social network through a practice of common gardening; marking the entrance of the garden with a banner for visibility, accessibility, and information; creating seating places in the shade for meetings with nice meals together; creating cyclic economies with bees - pollination (honey) - plants - vegetables, flowers, herbs, and fruits (market) - food (cafe, restaurant) - waste - compost involving the school, kinder garden, and senior club.

suggestion: we propose regular sessions for collecting ideas for the garden. Making collages is associative, easy and fun to do; it enables visible results quickly; collages inspire others, and communicate also non-verbal values such as atmospheres through images. Honey breakfasts and vision workshops enable the making of collective spaces.