With the urban garden project we want to blend the natural and the digital world in one and the same eco-system. We will explore how this fusion takes place: investigate in a digital way the growth, blossoming and decay of plants while they are submitted to the natural elements as wind, rain, snow, etc.
Can this evolution be generated, controlled, enhanced or imagined in artworks? Is our environment programmable? How does the fusion of natural and artificial matter produce new organisms, new environments, new natures? How does technology animate nature and space, and how do users and programs animate matter?

We observe the physical connections between people, nature and sensor-networks. We introduce natural processes as composting and organic gardening in a creative meshnetwork that combines natural and artifical elements in one media-ecological system.

Can we talk about ‘urban permaculture’, as an intrinsic part of this media-ecological system? What is Permaculture? Permaculture is about designing human environments that have the stability, diversity and resilience of natural ecosystems. Permaculture integrates renewable energy systems, energy efficiency, food/gardening systems, natural building, rainwater harvesting, urban planning along with the economic, political and social policies that make sustainable living possible and practical.
Permaculture is an approach to everyday life that integrates all the facets of people’s lives to enhance environmental sustainability within a permanent, sustainable agricultural and cultural system – a diverse, complex eco-system, where all of the elements interact in mutually beneficial ways to produce a whole which is greater than the sum of its parts. It is is a valued way of designing and creating sustainable systems. It has relevance for anyone with a concern to improve the environment and the quality of life.

aronia melanocarpa – appelbes – chokeberries
eucalyptus gunnii – cider gum
ficus carica – vijgenboom – common fig
philadelphus coronarius – boerenjasmijn – english dogwood
prunus spinosa – sleedoorn – blackthorn
ribes odoratum – kruisbes – golden current
rosa canina – hondsroos – dog rose
rosa glauca – bergroos – redleaf rose
rosa moyesii – muskaatroos – rosa moyesii
rosa rugosa – rimpelroos – ramanas rose
sambucus nigra – vlier – elderberry
vaccinium corymbosum – bosbes – blueberry
deutzia gracilis – bruidbloem – slender deutzia
spiraea cinerea – spierstruik – meadowsweet
potentilla fruticosa – vijfvingerkruid – shrubby cinquefoil
salix purpurea – bittere wilg – purple willow

acer campestre – veldesdoorn – field maple
amelanchier laevis – krenteboom – wild plum
cornus mas – gele kornoelje – cornelian cherry
corylus avellana – hazelaar – common hazel
crataegus pinnatifida – meidoorn – hawthorn
malus domestica melrose – appelboom – apple
malus domestica winterbanana – appelboom – apple
mespilus germanica – mispel – common medlar
olea europea – olijfboom – olive
prunus armeniaca – abrikoos – apricot
prunus avium – kers – cherry
quercus robur – zomereik – english oak

Snowy days are over, the bees are flying out again and we started with the preparations for the built-up of the rooftopgarden. An edible garden. 300m2 on the 6th floor -on top of a parkinglot- in the center of the city. A natural environment built-up in an artificial way, a semi-controlled ecosystem, a shelter for birds and bees, an experimental zone for urban agriculture.
Trees, schrubs and vergetables will be put together in different layers so that they work harmoniously in relation to each other and to their environment. The rooftop offers a microclimate which is ideal for permaculture approaches. All trees, tall and small shrubs and other plants have edible berries. Land, animals and people, light and shade are taken into account. All materials used are selected on their cradle to cradle aspects and their sustainability. We also take mobility of the elements into account to calculate the carbon footprint. Waterharvesting and green energy are at the basis of the system, and the selection of plants is chosen to be beneficial as well for the people as for the bees and the birds.

(design by Wim Collet/ Natuurlijk & Annemie Maes)

download the article: ‘Kunstenaars en Stadsbijen’
published in the book HONING, written by Karin Swiers.
click the image:

We started to make a database of the wild plants and flowers that grow in our rooftopgardens. The plants are indigenous and their seeds are brought to our rooftop locations by the birds. All pictures are photographs from our own plants. The texts come from a guidebook on wild flowers, and give a taxonomy and a topology of the plant, as well as a description of its specific features, e.g. medicinal plant and/or other properties.

okno’s harvest day is set up as an open_lab where visitors can explore the projects conducted by artists and researchers in the open_green rooftopgardens. We will exchange ideas about the different processes of social and cultural issues related to the urban, green environment. We will share everyday procedures as cooking algorithms with ingredients forthcoming from the seasonal harvest of the connected urban gardens. We intend to explore via public discussions and onsite/online presentations the character, properties and the expressions of different natural processes.

2pm: Your hosts of the day are Olivier Meunier and Annemie Maes.
Throughout the afternoon they will give an overview of the setup of the okno gardens (materials, decisions, technology) and introduce the artistic projects -the beehive observatory, the spiral-dye, the connected domes and webcams- located in the gardens.
2:30: we start for a walk through the city to collect berries and plants for Bartaku’s mini-lab on solar cells.
4pm: workshop featuring natural dye sensitized solar cells and Preb 501, an experimental light amplifier. This arts/science research project is fused by Bartaku’s PhoEf.
4pm: workshop on absinthe-making. Various Artists will go beyond Toulouse Lautrec and create natural alchemy with local plants: Aude Thensiau – 50%.
6pm: the honeybee observatory by Christina Stadlbauer.
Spring 2009 the 2 honeybee colonies arrived at the connected rooftop gardens. The ladies enjoyed a rich season of urban blooms and rewarded us with the first harvest! A taster of urban beekeeping techniques and a view on the harvesting fields will be offered as well as some spoons to evaluate the city honey of Brussels.

Across workshops and presentations samples of homemade bio products can be savoured: pickled russian cucumbers, sundried tomatoes, pinjur, city honey, absinthe, blueberry wine, kosovar pita, courgette-soup, … Bring your recipies to share them with us!

recipies by Various Artists

download here plant-sheet 2009
The information mentions:
the origin of the (bio) seeds, sowing date, growth, potting date, planting date (outside), location in the rooftop garden, companion planting, flowers and fruits evolution, harvest, seed-harvest, pictures.

cours de jardinnage écologique aux Ateliers des Tanneurs
David (début des haricots) vous enseigne une fois par mois ce qu’il y a à faire au jardin en fonction des saisons, les légumes à cultiver, comment s’y prendre, trucs et astuces. Transmission de savoir-faire inspiré des enseignements de Gilbert Cardon (Fraternités Ouvrières asbl, Mouscron) et des techniques de permaculture.
Ouverts à toutes et tous, gratuit.
Lieu: 58, rue des Tanneurs – 1000 Bxl, dans les Marolles.

Un Belge qui ne râle pas, n’est pas un Belge. C’est bon pour la santé!
Who is Gilbert Cardon and what is the Fraternité Ouvrière? Click here!
Check out pictures of Gilbert’s permaculture garden in Mouscron. Click here.
Check out Gilbert’s permaculture advise for your garden in october/november. Click here.