A few months ago I took one of my regular trips down to Melbourne to visit a close girlfriend who lives there. Over the three days I was there, I was struck by how green Melbourne was. Not that it has more parkland that I remembered or that it was mindblowingly sustainable – but that at the moment green seems to be the new black. Terrariums in cafes, rooftop veggie gardens in the city, living cacti necklaces…you name it, it’s there, and accessible for the average tourist.
The Little Veggie Patch Company’s Pop Up Patch at Federation Square which I checked out after seeing the instagram account of a Melbourne friend who had a plot (hurrah for social media!).
Teeny tiny succulent pots at Gro Some Succulents, corner Swanston and Collins Streets…they even sold tiny cacti in necklaces!
Well, okay, I guess I am somewhat biased and more likely to notice these things than the average person, plus I was in holiday mode and browsing the shops more than usual, but it still made a definite impression on me.
Don’t get me wrong, there are amazing things going on in Sydney – I walk past great community and footpath gardens in my wanderings, see beautiful vines in cafes and do spot the odd terrarium or ten at the markets (not to mention all the great green initiatives like Grow It Local and seed swap in Redfern) but Melbourne’s green was on display for all to see, and I didn’t have to hunt around to find it. What do you think? Am I underestimating my home town? Is Melbourne really as green as it seems?
My spoils from the weekend – a new airplant, seeds from the Little Veggie Patch Co (who could resist those packets?), magnetic cacti pots for the fridge, adorable herb markers from Kabwares. Oh and that might look like a funky $2 opshop bowl to you but to me it looks like…an airplant bath!
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