One of Melbourne’s most iconic laneways, Hosier Lane, has been decorated in thousands of tulips this morning.
Florist, designer and advocate for sustainable living Joost Bakker is behind the spontaneous installation. Bakker transported the tulips from Monbulk – where his family grows the flowers – after his brother decided they were unsalable and wanted to throw them out.
“For me, this installation is about making people aware that there’s a thriving industry … in this country,” says Bakker in an Instagram post.
Bakker hopes the installation will encourage people to think about the importance of buying locally grown flowers, rather than imported ones. He told Broadsheet that throngs of people had already filled the laneway to pluck tulips to take home.
Bakker is known for his sustainability-focused projects such as the now-closed Silo (a waste-free restaurant), Brothl and Greenhouse, and the soon-to-open World’s Most Sustainable Shopping Centre.