Yusi’s Wild Garden
Helen Morgan

Introducing plants to people through a uniquely curated garden pop-up in busy, high-density areas.

This idea is inspired by my friend Yusi who is an incredible gardener and has created her own gorgeous, wild garden. For people living within the city or in other densely populated, built-up areas, the opportunity to regularly experience a large, green, natural environment may be very limited. This idea proposes that a street or public thoroughfare area be blocked to traffic for one month a year and filled for that time with a diverse array of potted plants, creating a truly lush ‘wild’ garden for the local community. The primary aim of the project is to provide a generous, accessible outdoor space to communities that lack private outdoor space and greenery in general. This would be particularly beneficial in lower socio-economic areas. A secondary aim is to provide useful information to people about plants through a program that includes free talks by experts, gardening workshops, and activities for children, which would all take place within the garden space. The plants would fill the area, with walkways throughout and a generous amount of large and small plants on stepped structures of varying heights. The unique aesthetic of a wild garden in built up areas creates interesting public space, while its temporary nature means that the project could move to different areas, allowing people in diverse places to benefit from this project. This idea transforms public space temporarily, while inspiring ongoing thought in communities about how public spaces can be reimagined in greener, more enjoyable and beautiful ways.