Ōtautahi Urban Gardener

Ōtautahi Urban Gardener tells the stories of the growing urban communities, groups, creatives and businesses in Ōtautahi. By supporting Bloom in the Boosted Ōtautahi campaign you will help create an important book sharing diverse stories of our innovative Ōtautahi Urban Gardeners.

Behind the project is Lydia, aka Bloom or Bloom'n Grow Gal, an urban street artist in Ōtautahi who loves observing the city grow. Bloom has been documenting plants and flowers growing along the streets of Ōtautahi for several years and also connecting with the people who endeavor to nurture a blooming city; working with the seasons,  keeping nature in our streets and making the city beautiful. 

Bloom loves to meet people and hear their stories, especially if there are flowers involved; the family whose back garden is now a wildflower meadow, the woman digging up her front lawn to plant native plants, the textile artist growing plants for their natural dye properties and the cook using her own grown edible flowers. How astounding they are, the flowers and the people. How they thrive in the most challenging conditions… again the people and the plants. The book is a snapshot in time, of recovery from the earthquake combined with our gaining awareness of the climate emergency and the everyday things we can do to make a difference. It is a  beautiful object of images and words, which is accessible and affordable for people because it is for people.

The Ōtautahi Urban Gardener book celebrates gardening as a form of creative expression and how we incorporate plants into our lives and livelihoods. It considers our complicated relationship with nature in the context of urban development as well as a growing societal awareness of the positive impact in urban environments of spending time in nature for our well-being, particularly our mental health. The book documents Ōtautahi Urban Gardeners throughout the seasons and is an inspiring resource for budding Ōtautahi Urban Gardeners and others living in cities around the world.

Let's keep the blooms of this city and cities beyond, blooming… 

To follow along with our Ōtautahi Urban Gardeners check out  @otautahiurbangardener on Instagram. Also see @bloomngrowgalfor Bloom's urban flowers art practice.