This Gardening Project Brought an Abandoned House Back to Life
There is no question that in terms of bang for your buck, Detroit is one of the best cities for property these days. Not all homeowners are using their newly acquired estates as dwellings though. Many Motor City residents, like Lisa Waud, are using the affordable rates as an opportunity to create art. Inspired by Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s wrapped Pont Neuf Bridge, this florist wanted to use a large canvas to create public art in her hometown. After acquiring two abandoned houses for just $500, Waud filled one (dubbed The Flower House) with over 4,000 flowers. And the end result is INCREDIBLE.
Creating living art on these properties was no easy task. The homes were filled with trash, and Waud had to spend a considerable amount of time cleaning them out. Instead of letting everything go straight to the dump, she teamed up with a local company called Reclaim Detroit that specializes in repurposing materials from abandoned properties. Waud’s own company Pot and Box then filled one of the homes with thousands of seeds, which have bloomed up beautifully this spring.
This is just the beginning though. The first flower-filled home is serving as a preview for the next phase. This fall, Waud is collaborating with florists from around the world to fill the second home with over 100,000 seeds and plants. Her hope is that the Flower House will inspire to people to see beyond the dilapidation of properties like these homes and imagine what could be.
After the October viewings of the project have ended, the homes will be responsibly demolished and the properties will be reused as flower gardens. What a beautiful new beginning!
How would you turn an abandoned building into a work of art? We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments.
(h/t + Photos via Bored Panda)
