south of here!

A quick post... found an interview I really liked at Design Files with a very inspired guy... Joost Bakker. When In Melbourne In January 2009 doing a one month residency at Victoria University I was able to get along to the fab cafe that was temporarily set up at Fed Square...close by to the wonderful Ian Potter Gallery and much more.  

I have some photos I took ... but in order to post tonight and get some sleep...very quickly...these are from Lucy at design Files.. click above to go visit!

From design files:

An interview with Melbourne florist/event/installation creator Joost Bakker . His incredible sustainably-built pop-up bar/cafe The Greenhouse was installed at Federation Square over Summer. If you didn't get a chance to visit, you might remember my coverage and photos here. It was SUPER amazing. Like, Milan-Design-Week-style amazing, or Marije-Vogelzang-style-amazing...! Temporary design projects on this scale rarely happen in Melbourne, which is why The Greenhouse won my heart (and so many more!).

Anyway as you can imagine, at that time Joost was super busy, but luckily things have calmed down slightly and he has kindly taken the time to do an interview! Yay! It's great to learn a little more baout Joost - he's been featured a lot in the media (remember that Vogue Living feature earlier this year showcasing his beautiful home?), but I feel in this interview Joost has really given us a more personal insight into his motivations and the passion behind his work. :) Aren't we lucky!?

For more background info about Joost check out his website - lots more photos of his stunning floral pieces and larger scale installations. 
Tell me a little about your background - what did you study and what path led you to what you’re doing now? 

Migrating to Aus at age 9 had huge influence on me. Learning the language and culture, but the most profound impact was from learning, watching and being involved in our family business- growing flowers. My father tried planting all sorts of different varieties of flowers, this was important to watch, this way of trying to make different things work, testing assumptions. They became successful and the business quickly evolved, I observed sheds, greenhouses, glasshouses being constructed around me. The most complex construction happened in '97 it was a glasshouse from Holland. That set my thoughts in motion about different housing, more efficient ways of doing things.

You have gained an incredible reputation and received many accolades for your unique approach to floral design and installation. What were you initial plans when you first embarked this career? Did you ever expect to be working on the great variety of projects you are now so well known for?

No I definitely didn’t expect to be working across the different variety of projects that I am now, and I definitely didn’t plan to be working as a florist. For as long as I can remember I've always questioned how florists worked and always thought about different ways of doing things and being true to the product/materials. Having an understanding of the effort that goes into growing flowers makes you aware of their total beauty. I began wholesaling flowers and the whole journey evolved from there. 

Also check out the current Joost venture:

The importance of Soil

Nothing is more important. Soil feeds us and everything else in this world. It filters the air we breathe. Its billions of microbes, bacteria, fungi and minerals keep us healthy!

Growing plants in healthy soil is simply logical. Creating healthy soil out of waste is even better. This is truly sustainable as 70% of our waste is organic.

By using compost worms and bio-char we’ve created healthy soil. Consider that one teaspoon of worm castings can contain billions of microbes, bacteria, fungi and minerals.

Combining this with Bio-Char (waste turned into carbon using pyrolysis) and compost made from green waste, pine bark and coir provides plants with all they need to be healthy.

Unlike most herbs and flowers, our Herbs and flowers, have not been harvested. They come with the root system intact which means they still have their life source with them.  Without this root system a plant is dead.  Our plants are alive, full of energy and nutrients.  Beautiful blooms providing you with clean air and herbs with nutrient packed leaves.

These plants are grown in Urban Crop soil. Not a fertilized soil that takes copious amounts of fossil fuel to produce. Urban Crop soil is full of life, so our plants go home with you, complete with their own little supply of soil.  This is their fuel so they should be kept in their packaging for the duration of their stay.

Our Flowers and herbs are not pumped up with water.  So they won't collapse into a shrivelled slimy heap within hours of getting them home. Urban Crop herbs will love to sit in your kitchen for a week or two, ready for you to harvest as you need them.  Urban Crop flowers will produce the most extraordinary blooms that will dazzle you for longer than any cut flower.

Urban Crop plants believe in an after life.  So when they have been consumed, or flowered as much as they can, you simply put the plant, packaging and all in your own compost. Or bring it back to us for composting.