Thanks to Merlyn Berthelsen for sending in this great water collector constructed from corrugated iron fastened with rope to a plastic barrel and gardening rods.
Materials: Corrugated Iron, Plastic Barrel, Gardening Rods, Rope
Location: Aichi Prefecture
A warning to all dog walkers – no dumping on this piece of earth peeking up through the cracked concrete. Plastic covering as protection and signage.
Materials: Plastic
Location: Akishima, Tokyo
Chopping boards leaning on the wall to dry outside a soba shop.
Material: Air Conditioner
Location: Akishima, Tokyo
“Dump No Rubbish” sign in card and marker posted on drink vending machine can disposal bin.
Materials: Card
Location: Akishima, Tokyo
[Thanks to Joseph Tame, Tokyo-based freelance marketing manager, new media producer, entrepreneur, performer and marathoner for this garden fix originally posted on his microblog]
“With the onset of string winds, I replace *Twinkle’s* ex-jewellery stand with this ex-umbrella, carefully dismembered with my favourite pair of pliers.” (Joseph adds – “I did actually ask my wife before I took her jewellery stand to use as a stake to hold the sunflowers up.”)
Materials: Umbrella, Plastic Twine
Location: Meguro, Tokyo
Hook under eaves serves as storage for bicycle child seat.
Materials: hook
Location: Akishima, Tokyo
Curbside dead space transformed into edible space. Tomatoes, goya, cucumber, and eggplant are standard members in Tokyo pavement vegetable gardening but this is the first time I have seen a small bush of hot chilies on an appropriated sidewalk plot.
As opposed to most other pavement gardening this bush is planted directly into the soil between the footpath and the road, and space is demarcated by a large-ish flowering bush on the sidewalk side and a white picket fence on the driveway entrance side.
A high level of public trust is necessary for people to feel they can grow precious and delicious plants in the open – “A city that’s safe for vegetables and plants is one that also welcomes people” (Ref).
Materials: Demarcating Bush, Plastic Picket Fence
Location: Akishima, Tokyo
[Originally posted on Tokyo-DIY-Gardening.org]
Rope barrier/gate reinforced, strengthened and given weight (helps stop it swinging in the breeze) with wire wrapped around its length.
Materials: Wire, Rope
Location: Tachikawa, Tokyo
Trees support a laundry pole construction in Tokyo’s Tachikawa suburbs.
Materials: Laundry Pole
Location: Tachikawa, Tokyo
Garden gloves for outdoor use stored conveniently on laundry frame.
Materials: Laundry Frame
Location: Tachikawa, Tokyo
Trees support a bamboo pole based washing line construction in Tokyo’s Tachikawa suburbs. I love the way the structure blends in with the surroundings – its temporary form touching lightly on the landscape.
A flexible, elegant and economical solution to a very domestic need.
Materials: Bamboo, Twine
Location: Tachikawa, Tokyo
A row of tomato vines protected from the harsh Tokyo summer with a whole lot of umbrellas.
Japan’s annual umbrella consumption is estimated to be around 130 million (more than one per person, per year) [ref] (324,102 were lost and turned over to the police lost-and-found in Tokyo, 2001 [ref]). Now you know where part of that ends up….
Materials: Umbrellas
Location: Tachikawa, Tokyo
Cats are persuaded to choose another spot for their nightly activities with water-filled PET bottles and spiked plastic mats.
Materials: PET Bottles, Spiked Plastic Mat
Location: Akishima, Tokyo
The tree closest to the road becomes the default dumping ground for rubbish from the rest of the site. A convenient and easy to spot landmark.
Materials: Tree
Location: Tachikawa, Tokyo
Roadside bush tethered with packing strap.
I like that rather than trim or kill this errant plant, the owner of the residence has opted to tie it to the fence to reduce impact on passing pedestrians/cyclists….. A mix of respect for plant life and hassle involved with disposing of plant cuttings?
Materials: Packing Strap
Location: Akishima, Tokyo
The sharp ends of these bamboo support stakes are made safer by placing the cut off ends of mayonnaise bottles on top.
I like the strongly practical, domestic feel that this has. No fuss, no pretense of elegance. Just growing some plants and keeping kids’ eyes out of harm’s way.
Materials: Mayonnaise Bottles
Location: Akishima, Tokyo
Grid-like wire fencing works well as storage for outdoor-use spray bottles.
Materials: Fence
Location: Akishima, Tokyo
Thanks to my Tokyo-DIY-Gardening collaborator/co-instigator Jared Braiterman for this lovely short post on the super-glue that holds together much of Tokyo’s DIY green.
http://tokyogreenspace.com/2010/09/25/s-hooks-are-tokyos-super-glue/
“I love how someone has intervened in the landscape, and done so in a way that is completely removable and dependent on what already exists.”
Materials: S-hook
Bicycle basket as rubbish bin for vending machine and convenience store bought drinks.
Materials: Bicycle Basket
Location: Akishima, Tokyo
Thanks to Tokyo design researcher Jan Lindenberg for this great find: Unusable public seating repurposed as rock garden at Mt. Takao, West Tokyo.
Materials: Public Bench
Location: Mt. Takao, Tokyo
