Concrete Garden

Dear B&B
Where plants meet historical buildings ✨

The Heaven Sword (taiwania cryptomerioides)
Taiwans newly discovered tallest tree at an official 84.1m is getting attention :)

Taiwan biggest tree is getting attention!

Gardening workshop with the students from National Taiwan University’s Biomechanical Engineering department!

Learning, growing, and connecting—one plant at a time!🌿✨

This monthly workshop offers an opportunity for students to learn gardening techniques, practiced English in a fun and interactive way, and took one more step toward greening the campus!

Can’t wait for next month’s session!

Finishing 2024 with a little adventure on Bohol island.
We chose the hottest day to go on a hike in the Alicia Panoramic Park. Although it is just 400 m elevation, we felt it after all the generous breakfast and Filipino specialties 🤰🏼🤣
The view was worth the effort. The cogon grass, the local perennial grass found there, looks like a comfy blanket 🥰
A great reminder that in 3 days, we will need to be under a warm duvet ❄️💙

Finally a sunny day: it is gardening outside today!!

As the last typhoon destroyed everything we built during last year, 's students were happy to start a new one in another location!

We reused the bamboo and other materials we could find on the former site. Some students remembered how to build the raised beds and were happy to share their knowledge with others.

Garden-based projects are also an incredible opportunity to put into practice other skills like math, geometry and speaking a foreign language in context.

Plum village made me the honor to ask me to help make floral arrangements for their event last week. It was my second time collaborating with them and I hope we will get a chance to work together again.

The floral arrangements were inspired by the Japanese style ikebana. All the plates and vases were lent by volunteers at the foundation whilst all the plant materials were intentionally from Taiwan to reduce the CO2 footprint of the event.

The color selection for the flowers meant to suggest those experienced during sunrise (which also is the symbol of enlightenment).

Through this collaboration, I met wonderful human beings. One in particular touched my heart. While shopping at Neihu flower market, I kept on asking if the plants I had an eye on were from Taiwan. Most people would answer yes or no. But one old man answered "I grow them myself".

Perhaps it doesn't mean much to you, but I guarantee you that is a rare thing nowadays, especially in a big city like Taipei.

Primary students started gardening again!
Although the weather 🌧️ hasn't allowed us to go back to the garden per se, we seized the last few weeks to green the corridor and all the classrooms 🪴
All the students had a chance to learn hands on how to repot a plant and take care of roots.

Our lower primary students learnt about plant parts in English today! 🌿
They could then choose their favourite leaf in the garden. Some like Jordan went for the BIGGEST leaf possible: the turmeric leaf 😆

Making the portrait of a pollinator 🦋🐝
Do they eat during the day or at night?
Which colour or scent do they like?
Do they only feed on nectar?

Back in school gardens 🎒🌿📖

While our lower primary students learnt how to water plants (and the English word: water can!), the upper primary students started exploring the very fragrant world of herbs.

Afternoon snack harvested in my rooftop garden. It is the first dragon fruit I got since I planted it and I am glad it is a red variety 😋
Very sweet!