floating garden

The environmental art commission for Islington’s City Road Basin was launched about a year ago, in May 2011.  British artist Tania Kovats designed a floating garden, an organic sculpture, to attract attention and enhance this hidden public space.

HABITAT, Tania Kovats

The island is constructed from a floating pontoon, and contains planted trays and a damp water meadow made up of rare local aquatic plants.  The nests are inspired by local birds, including moorhens, herons and swans.

HABITAT, Tania Kovats

Writer Sarah Butler is part of the same project, creating her works of art in the form of short literary works in relation to HABITAT.

Listen to Planting List

Meadow Sweet, Cotton Grass, Wild Red Clover
Scabious, Cowslip, Sorrell
Yellow Rattle, Toadflax, Ox Eyed Daisy
Marjoram, Milfoil, Yarrow.

Water Mint, Musk Mallow
Birdsfoot Trefoil
Cat’s Ear, Weeping Sedge
Salad Burnet

Ragged Robin, Campion
Ladies Bedstraw

Hawkbit, Plantain
Tufted Vetch

Cranes-bill, Self-heal
Yellow Flag Iris

Buttercup, Betony, Bulrush

In advance of the Walk | Talk on 17th Sept – a piece inspired by the list of plants used as ‘plugs’ for HABITAT, and those found growing in the meadow turf. (from Sarah Butler’s blog:  http://secretgardenproject.wordpress.com/)

HABITAT, Tania Kovats

Kovats’ overall body of work has focused on landscapes and geological processes.  Online articles abound regarding her work, but I did not find an artist’s website.  If you want a quick glance of her body of work,  search “Tania Kovats” in Google Images.