19 November 2008

The promised planters - city beautified?

| johnboy
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Back on 28 August the Chief Minister promised to do something about the shabby state of Civic.

In particular he promised:

    “To complement the Floriade in the City entertainment, the ACT Government will beautify the heart of the city with the installation of new flower displays and fairy lights through the trees on Northbourne Avenue.”

Over the last week every pole in the city centre has had “flower displays” added. Also known as cheap pots filled with what, to my untutored eye, appear to be petunias.

I do wonder who’s going to give them the water they need as there’s no sign of drippers.

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vandam said :

And honestly, plants??????? Its like those bloody barrels in the City which I thought was actually junk until I realised its another crazy art statement (meaning its still junk!)

Ahh yes, but it was only a temporary piece of crazy art statement junk. Under that context, (and along with the wrapped plants and the bus signal), it also really really made me smile.

Maybe I am just getting happier in my old age?

I hope they are using grey water!

And honestly, plants??????? Its like those bloody barrels in the City which I thought was actually junk until I realised its another crazy art statement (meaning its still junk!)

I like it. Petunias are great this time of year – they sometimes get criticised for being a bit ‘common’, but they are tough yet colourful. A bit like Mark Carmody! I wonder when he will put one in his buttonhole?

I read in t’paper that the Canberra CBD Ltd put these ‘installations’ up and not the ACT Government.

The contractors that installed the plantings are also to water them. Apparently they are there until March 2009. If community feedback is good, they will extend the plantings next year.

I think that it goes some way towards reconciling that someone cares about the place.

Tick VG Canberra CBD.

I’m still waiting for the whale to hit ….

*chuckle*

“Curiously enough, the only thing that went through the mind of the bowl of petunias as it fell was ‘Oh no, not again’.”

Katoomba has pretty wine barrels full of flower displays at the mo -saw them on the weekend – on both sides of the main street. AND they have attractive metal rubbish bins too, with a fixed lid so you don’t have to touch it to put your rubbish in (which appeals to the OCD side of me)!

The planters are actually the work of Canberra CBD Ltd the company created magically from nowhere. They will water the flowers until march next year then they will be removed when they go out od season.

There was a story or news release on this somewhere, but I can’t remember where I saw it to provide the linkage!

I think they look pretty good, but I do agree that some of them are prime candidates to be knocked down by idiots.

Walking past them early morning on Monday – a number of the holders were twisted/pots almost hanging out, but by Monday evening they were all straight and shiny again. By today most had been raised another foot or so, out of jumping-drunk-tall guy range. Oh, and a man goes by early in the morning with a water carrying-ute with a long water sprayer thingy…

If I was a bird I would totally shiat off these.

I noticed this the other day. Looks great in my opinion. I don’t agree with Stanhope much, but this is much better than installing some crappy public artwork. I just hope they last. I can see these things being torn down by drunken idiots in the not too distant future.

Are you talking to me, caf?

I wonder how often you think that lawn would be mown if it were up to the free market to do so?

Why don’t they make some use of the incredibly talented pool of artists in this city to do something new and innovative that will bring the city to life and add to the general funkiness of life?

Why do I have to think of everything?

*chuckle*

The pots are not entirely ugly exactly, but certainly insipid.

For all my criticisms of Jon Stanhope, I do think he’s got something better in him than a bunch of prissy little pots. But then he can’t win. We complain about everything he does in relation to art and the city and arboretums and so forth.

I think he really needs to find a vision that he can sell to most Canberrans before he gets passionate about it himself. If only he could really work with the community, I think he is capable of doing some great things with Canberra as far as aesthetics. I think that deep down he might really have the soul of an artist.

Noticed bowls of Petunias. Did not notice sperm whale anywhere around.
Must be something happening…

My fiancee believes they will quickly be vandalised. Considering that I was almost overcome with a desire to smash them myself (despite never having vandalised anything before), I think she may be right.

I for one think they are further proof that central planning never fails.

I’m going to reserve judgement until I see the “and fairy lights”.

‘beautify the heart of the city with flower displays’

If only it was an attempt at beautifying the city instead of spreading a thin veneer of colour.

They look fine to me.

RAGD said :

We noticed these plants last friday night while out in civic for dinner. We also noticed that they aren’t really that high up and not bolted down in any way we could see.

I give them a couple of weeks before they start being brought down by drunks..

And when said drunks injure themselves trying to get at them, they can sue the ACT Govt!

They look incredibly tacky.

The pots are the self-watering type, so some council worker will have to drive around to fill all the pot bases with water periodically.

You really can be a hard lot to please. You ask that they do something, they do it, then you complain about what they have done……………

Done properly, massed hanging baskets can be great, I have seen a couple of city areas which really got into it and put the right plants in etc, and it did look good… BUT the absolutely crucial element is an automatic watering system, and they need to be watered every day in summer. Without it, you might as well not bother.

We noticed these plants last friday night while out in civic for dinner. We also noticed that they aren’t really that high up and not bolted down in any way we could see.

I give them a couple of weeks before they start being brought down by drunks..

Eurgh. I noticed these yesterday wandering through town with toriness. They look ridiculous.

sorry but i think they look stupid. effort appreciated though.

They are fugly, and a bit late…Floriade finished a month ago!

maybe they’re fake 🙂

Water? Water!

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