13 June 2008

Designed For Biodiversity

Vertical Gardens to inject greenery into built environments. This July, the Melbourne International Design Festival will transform one of Melbourne cityâ€™s major landmarks into a vertical field of verdant greenery.

Better known as a Vertical Garden, this luscious man-made garden is renowned worldwide for transforming bland industrialised streetscapes into vibrant natural environments.

Pioneered by internationally renowned French artist/scientist Patrick Blanc, the Vertical Garden is a soil-less garden suitable for almost any indoor or outdoor vertical surface. The garden can be cultivated in any climatic environment.

As part of the National Design Centre’s Melbourne International Design Festival, Blanc will travel to Australia to install his famous Vertical Garden at Melbourne Central in Melbourne’s CBD. The gardens will be available for all to see from Thursday, 17 July 2008.

The Vertical Garden is based on a simple structure, starting with a metal frame. Seedlings, cuttings or grown plants are installed upon a special layer of felt and are cultivated by a watering system running from the top down.

Event: Vertical Garden Project at Melbourne Central Shot Tower
Date: Thursday, 17 July onward.
Venues: Melbourne Central, corner of Latrobe and Swanston Streets, Melbourne.
Cost: FREE

http://www.nationaldesigncentre.com/