“Edel was interested in ways of bringing back manufacturing jobs to the city,” explains Melanie Hoekstra, director of operations at The Plant. The building is uniquely suited to food production; it contains food-grade materials (these allow for legal and safe food preparation) because of its meatpacking history. Instead of combining farming with other types of manufacturing, The Plant is sticking entirely to food—and lots of it.
I think we posted something about this project last year, emphasizing aspects that are recurring Unconsumption topics: adaptive reuse — the conversion of existing buildings to new uses — and urban farming. (Though I’m not finding an earlier post about it in the Unconsumption archive. Ah, thanks, Tumblr search.) Anyway, it’s great to see that the project’s progressing nicely.
I’m not observing American Thanksgiving at home this year, but if I were, my tablescape would look something like this — adorned with reused and/or repurposed small containers filled with rosemary, sage, and other herbs (from which I’d probably snipped a bunch of leaves to cook with!). Guests could take the plants home with them if they wanted to.
I love the idea of using something so practical (and waste-free) as decor.
(Photo via Design*Sponge)
Via gardensinunexpectedplaces:
Via steveleathers:
For PARK(ing) Day, my company created an Urban Farmlet on SW 2nd Street in Portland (between Taylor and Yamhill).
It’s only two parking spots, but it feels like a lot more. If you’re in the area, come by and check it out. Have some lemonade. Enjoy some space that you normally wouldn’t have the chance to.
Happy 2011 PARK(ing) Day, y’all.
PARK(ing) Day is an annual, worldwide event that invites citizens everywhere to transform metered parking spots into temporary parks for the public good.
Click here to view a map of cities where residents have set up pop-up parks.
See also: Earlier Gardens in Unexpected Places post here.
Today, in “things I love.”
Via gardensinunexpectedplaces:
Plantbombing!
Yarnbombing — or the cozying up of the urban landscape with random acts of gorgeous knitting — has already been seen popping up in a number of cities. Now San Francisco-based urban knitter and guerilla gardeners Heather Powazek Champ and Derek Powazek have publicly come out with yarn bombing’s next evolution: planting low-maintenance species in beautifully hand-knitted yarn pockets all over their fair city.
Inspired after this year’s International Yarn Bombing Day, the husband and wife pair call their project “Plantbombing,” and it combines Heather’s love of “urban knitting” and Derek’s skill at gardening. Using yarn, a bit of soil, and some hardy plants, the result is a hands-off, smile-inducing work of art.
For those of you who want to try making your own plant pockets, Heather’s site provides the instructions to get started.
(via Plantbombing: Colorful Yarn-Wrapped Plants Soften Up The City : TreeHugger)
Today, in “things I love.”
Via unconsumption:
It’s wine o’clock (somewhere) — time to share a wine-related repurposing find:
Wine corks used as plant markers! (spotted on Pinterest)
For additional wine-spiration, check out earlier Unconsumption posts here.
Cheers!
Today in things I love.