On assignment of Gemeente Rotterdam & Stimuleringsfonds my colleague Marieke de Keijzer and I started a plant awareness project in the city of Rotterdam. The project is divided in the design of a public space, a collection of flyers about plant awareness and a series of workshops for people of the city.
De ‘Loktuin’ (attraction garden) is the front yard of the Childrens Museum ‘Villa Zebra’. With the Loktuin we wanted to portray how bees and insects get attracted to plants. Is it their height, colour, smell, dancing in the wind or something else that attracts insects? We did a superfun workshop with children asking this question and we were pleasantly surprised by their creativity. What better place to start making people aware about nature then in a garden where not only children but also their parents get together. ‘Jong geleerd is oud gedaan’ is a typical Dutch expression, meaning if you learn it young it will stay with you all your life.
The garden was built with support of lots of volunteers. The plants are from an organic nursery ‘The Hessenhof’. For the opening of the garden we made different flyers about how to invite (more) nature in peoples own gardens and balconies. All of this to spread awareness about plants & nature in the city.
Designers: Fika & Marieke de Keijzer, commisioned by Coöperatie Stek.
Partners: Stimuleringsfonds, Gemeente Rotterdam & Villa Zebra
