Easy Garden

Podcast (Dutch)

From June 7 to September 13, 2003, the 8th edition of Wageningen’s Beelden op de Berg took place under the title Dreamscapes. Artists and landscape architects visualised their ideas for the future artificial landscape. GANG’s intervention consisted of two parts. The ‘Easy Garden’ full of plastic plants was installed in the Arboretum, and a garden competition for ‘The best garden in Wageningen’.

The jury nominated 20 gardens in Wageningen as ‘the Best garden in Wageningen’. Each nomination received a real-estate billboard in the garden that read ‘NOMINATED’. The awards were displayed in the Easy Garden. From here visitors could take a bike ride along the 20 nominated gardens. The city of Wageningen was kept in suspense for 2 months. The award ceremony was attended by indignant Wageningers to support the nominees. Three winning prizes were sponsored by sculpture foundry De Rode HAAN; a flower box ‘Baroque Koko’, a 1.5 m rearing horse, and the main prize was a man-sized frog fountain.

The winner of ‘The Best Garden in Wageningen’ was Mr. Bullinga from Dahlia Street. Bullinga had returned his garden to public space by removing the garden fence and laying the paving stones up to his front door. The jury report: “Mr. Bullinga lifts the twilight zone between private and public. By extending the street to the facade, he enlarges the public space. May the attitude and decisiveness of Mr. Bullinga be an example for the citizens of Wageningen.”

The inauguration of the frog fountain was done by councillor Tineke Strik. Today still, the whole street enjoys the fountain and the extra wide sidewalk in front of Mr. Bullinga’s house.

Location Landschapspark Arboretum Belmonte, Wageningen

Period September 2003

Commisioned by Dreamscapes – Beelden op de Berg 8
Team Melle Smets, Hans Jungerius, Rob Groot Zevert
Sponsor Sculpture foundry ‘De Roode Haan’
Photography Jeroen Mush
Special Thanks J. Bullinga