OUT OF THE BOX (ou comment sortir des sentiers battus)

Between the Pines, a box. Genre Rubik’s cube. It intrigues me. I'm approaching.

A metal box with a pattern covered with weird plants that seem to grow without soil. Are they alive? Yes. They are Tillandsia; or "girls of the air". This motif reminds me of Mondrian (I have some culture Sir!) but also moucharabiehs of palaces in Marrakech. Seeing men without being seen. Hide and Seek.

I decide to go inside the box because something shines in its center. I am disappointed because there is ... nothing. Everything is geometric, simple, calm. Only a square on the floor and a golden box in the center. Reference to Donald Judd (what a culture, Madam and nobody understands anything ...).

I sit down to recover from my disappointment.

And suddenly, the show begins and the delirium arrives ...

A few minutes later I decided to leave this object, going out of the box, joyfull.

One can really have a great experience when one takes new paths...

Follow me and enjoy!

Normality is a paved road: you can walk easily but flowers don't grow. Vincent Van Gogh

This project has been created by Studio Falaj together with Tillandsia Prod.

Studio Falaj is my studio of well-crafted landscape architecture and outdoor events whose international projects, from landscape strategy for new cities to public spaces and "Haute-Couture" private gardens planification are physical, historical and sensible answers to the site as well as to the client's wishes whilst being nourrished by my expertise, result of my life spent between the North of Europe and the Middle-East.

"Alexanderufer", Berlin:

"The Secret Garden", London:

"Tropical pocket park", London:

"Le Cercle Bushido", Marrakech:

Tillandsia Prod:

The nursery of Tillandsia was created by Thierry Béchard in 1993, in Aimargues, in South of France. He has developed a real passion for these strange plants living on tree trunks during his several trips in South America. Back to France, he wants to cultivate them in Camargue, and to sell them on market places. After several failures, he understands the plants needs and develop their cultivation. Thanks to lots of donations and exchanges with collectors and botanical gardens his collection reaches in 2013, 200 species, varieties et hybrides.
The cultivation becoming too important in terms of gestion for one person, Thierry Béchard decides to sell his nursery to Pierre Kerrand and Daniel Thomin, en 2013.
The nursery is called today Tillandsia Prod, and occupies an area of 2200 m2. 300.000 Tillandsia are cultivated, in 350 species, varieties and hybrides.

View of the nursery:

Pierre has always been very passionate about plants. From the age of 4, he spends his time in the garden observing plants. His bedroom is a green house, full of seedling and cuttings experiments. Then life brings him in the aviation,where he is steward during 18 years. He takes advantages of his long trips, to visit many beautiful gardens in the world. He moves to Corsica in 2004 where his love for plants can flourish such as many exotic plants including the Tillandsia of Thierry Béchard.

Daniel has also a great passion for plants since childhood. He buys his first Tillandsia at 12 years old, to cultivate it in his bedroom. After several failures, the veranda becomes the welcoming space for these plants. The Tillandsia start to flower and a passion is born. After a BTS in horticulture, Daniel spends 10 years decorating events, before going back to his first love. He works then as a landscaper in Nîmes during 2 years, before his accounter with Pierre, which led them to sustain this atypical nursery.