David’s

“This plant is the last surviving plant from my mother. She died 6 years ago & all the others have died. She had a spikey but beautiful character, much like a cactus.”

David, Newtown

Brenda’s Gin

“A twig of a tree
in the empty
vessel of the
Empire’s tears.
Monkey do, monkey
see, monkey fears.”

Brenda, Haberfield

Talking about the Hanging Gardens

by Underbelly Public Arts Lab and Festival

Artists: Makeshift and Nobody
Editor: Dylan Behan
Mostly filmed by: Dom Santangelo
Music: Meem

Privet rave

One Bonsai Privet’s Story

“Twenty-five years ago I was removed from a chook pen in postcode 2454
and put in a pot.

What could I do to stop it? Nothing.

What have I done about it? Adapted

The carer is not so smart and endlessly resists the reality of being
root bound in a pot.

But we Privets are hardy, so I soldier on, or endure, as a less war
like species would probably say.

If they could.

And it’s not all bad. I listen to Bach, and am treated with moderate
respect.”

Paula, Redfern

The Gardens on TV

You may have caught the Hanging Gardens (and Underbelly) on ABC news last night, as part of a story that began with another collection of potted plants in unusual surrounds, Pierre Huyghe’s Forest of Lines at the Opera House. Hopefully this will encourage lots of lovely new plants to come down and join the growing installation. Today is our last day of processing and hanging before it’s all finished and open to the public for the weekend festival. See you there!

See pics of the Forest here

chiara’s tale

This plant was left on the desk one early morning.
We loved the presence of a little jumping spider!
Grazie Chiara!

FRA ‘N CESCA

“Fra ‘n Cesca are my two little succulents! They have been living with us since the day I went out to Glebe’s market to find a present for my sister’s birthday – I got her a pendant and two plants for me on that day.

My sister’s name is Francesca (Fra n Cesca) and she loves succulents! Back home, in Milan, Italy she has at least 20 different types of these plants and it was a tradition for me to bring her a little succulent on my way back from every travel. Now I am in Australia. I have been living in Sydney for 15 months and I miss her really heaps, but unfortunately I haven’t go back yet. That’s why I have Cesca ‘n Fra in my house…I’ve shown their pics to the “real” Francesca, and she loves them (Cesca is her favourite). They are lovely little succulent, that remind me of my younger sister! I love them!”

Chiara, Redfern

Sydney Morning Herald features the Gardens

The Hanging Gardens got a great article in the Herald today, in the ‘Eco’ section. Hooray! If you missed it, you can still read it online here

Lucas’s tale

Mama Cactus

“On new years eve, 2001, a bunch of us went for a big bike ride
around to lots of different parties – in Darlinghurst, Surry
Hills, and Glebe. We figured it was a good way to get around
town because public transport and taxi are a nightmare on
new years, and it’s fun to ride in a pack, getting a little
drunker. Towards the end of our night (maybe half past three)
we were riding through Glebe. Jane was there, and Sara Sauce
and Elaine I think. We stumbled across a party which we hadn’t
known about and just popped in. Everyone loves a few extra
guests on new years. I remember meeting Lisa Pryor at this
party, she writes urban reports for the Herald now days, and I
talked to her about her unreal estate project. As we were
leaving near the wooden fence outside this Glebe house I
spotted the embryo of Mama Cactus – just a fragment in the
dust. I picked it up and shoved it in my pocket. A few days
later I discovered the fragment again, when I put it through a
load of washing. It was looking a bit shriveled but I found a
terracotta pot and shoved it in anyway, and put it on my
windowsill. It lived on the windowsill for ages without
anything happening, but one day a bud appeared (maybe a few
months later) and from then on it began to take off. The new
bud was so youthful and bright green in comparison with the
shriveled original stub. I really liked this cactus. Every
couple of months a new bud would appear on top of the latest
one. I took the cactus with me to Adelaide when I did an artist
in residence at the experimental art foundation. The cactus
traveled on the dashboard of the transit van. After a while
bits began to drop off the cactus. I shared these into new
pots and they continued to grow. One of these I gave to Elena
for her birthday in 2004. Jane and I painted “ELENA’S PETITE
CACTUS” on the side of the pot. but now Elena’s Petite Cactus
is much larger than her mum, and Elena tells me that the E.P.C
has itself given birth to many offspring.

The End.”

Lucas, Petersham.

See below for Elena’s Tale

mark’s special green friend

mark

“My grandmother was such a green thumb. This plant was one of four that she gave me years ago, and the beginning of my personal love of plants.

Nanna nena, my grandmother, passed away late last year, so this plant is extra special now – like she lives with me in my studio.”

Mark, Camperdown

ali’s tale

Yesterday was a great day for the Hanging Gardens & Other Tales.
Many willing plant lovers parted themselves from special friends, to enrich the display of beautiful tales.
below is the tale told by Ali’s green friends:

“I thought I was a total brown-thumb, death to plants, until the day my ex-girlfriend took me around her garden and picked a little pup off each of her favourite succulents, sent me home cradling them gently in my lap. Watching those little plants thrive inspired me like nothing else. I was out every morning exclaiming over each new millimetre of growth. An obsession was born.
Last time I moved house I brought two trailer loads of plants with me.
Finding intriguing objects to contain my plants is my secondary obsession. Tea-pots, tea-cups, colanders, saucepans & boots have all served.
These two plants are descendants of the pups that kick-started this whole obsession.”

Ali, Newtown

Thorny tales

“This plant was given to me as a gift during a Polish christmas celebration. It propagates very easily, you just break a branch off and stick it in the ground, and that’s how I received it. My friend has given away many of these plants, and I have continued to break off parts and give them them away also. This one plant is spreading far and wide.”

Garth, Waterloo
Crown of Thorns

it’s all happening out there, in the big wide space!

The space is slowly filling with plants and stories.
Here’s Elena with her special cactus Petite.
She’s very fond of her green friend, which has been living with her for several years.
And below is Petite’s story:


“For my sixth birthday my dad’s friend Lucas gave me a pot full of dirt, so i thought.
I took it home and a couple of weeks later a little green head poked out.
It kept growing until Petite is what she is now, not quite petite as she once was.
Now that she’s part of the Hanging Garden she can finally be re-united with her mother, as Lucas has given Petite’s mum to the garden to show.
Petite’s mum now gets the chance to see some of her grand-children which are living in the pot with Petite.
And so is Petite’s story.