Overview
A surprise delivery was made to Melbourne's Hosier Lane this morning. It wasn't a new piece of street art, but 35,000 tulips planted by eco-warrior Joost Bakker.
The designer and activist — who has recently been building the world's most sustainable shopping centre in Burwood Brickworks — arrived in the laneway before sunrise, bringing the tens of thousands of tulips with him from his family's farm in Monbulk.
In a Facebook post, Bakker explained that the flowers were not of a 'high-enough quality' to sell and were destined for the bin, but he had a better use for them: an installation raising awareness about the country's flower growers.
"For me this installation is about making people aware that there's a thriving industry with more than a thousand growers in this country," Bakker explained in the post. "It's currently under a lot of pressure from imported flowers with some estimating close to 70% of flowers in this country are imported."
He then got approval from the City of Melbourne, borrowed some trucks and took the flowers on an hour-long journey into the city.
As well as being nice to look at, the 35,000 red tulips are also up for grabs. So head along and pick up a bunch for your loved one — or a deserving colleague — before they disappear.
Image: City of Melbourne