Urban renewal is a timely and important issue—can flowers play a role in it? The tulips of the Wander and Pick project say yes.
Spring has only been here for a few days, and the most beautiful blooms are coming into bloom, filling us with the joy of their colors and a strong desire to spend our free time outdoors. There are some that don’t wait for the spring equinox to come back to life, but their stems and petals begin to peek out as early as the beginning of March—a month that, as we know, is a bit crazy, but gives us the first long-awaited, warm rays of sunshine.
Tulips are one such flower, and they have become the stars of an organic flower-growing project that for several years now has been flooding Tuscany with expanses of blooms. These are not spaces designed specifically for this purpose, but rather an idea aimed at reconnecting people with nature, without necessarily having to leave the places of their daily lives.
When I first met Alessandra Benatti, the founder of Wander and Pick, I was truly struck by her words and the spark I saw in her eyes as she spoke of her ambition: to restore importance and dignity to flowers—all too often mistreated since the dawn of the industrial age—through this fruitful initiative.
One might think of Wander and Pick as a sort of wave of ecological art with countless nuances that has taken shape as widespread tulip gardens. The tulip, the symbolic flower of the Netherlands, has long been the centerpiece of tourism promotion for parks—and by extension, entire regions—from early spring through the beginning of May. From Keukenhof near Amsterdam to the Sigurtà Garden Park in the province of Verona, it has conquered all of Europe.
In reality, although few people know it, its origins go back much further: to the remote steppes of Central Asia, where it still grows wild. The first recorded cultivation dates back to around the 10th century in Persia; sultans also loved them as decorative motifs on porcelain and fine fabrics. They arrived in the Old Continent in Vienna in 1554 from Constantinople and subsequently triggered what would be called the first speculative bubble of the capitalist era. But that is another story.
The beauty of the tulips from Wander and Pick enriches certain urban spaces that we often take for granted. Places that shape our very urban fabric and define our sense of belonging, yet to which we pay little attention: they foster a sense of community and a deeper connection to the land.
The flowers are planted and cultivated by the non-profit association Le Tribù della Terra, with the support of the municipalities participating in the landscaping project. Once they bloom, they are ready to brighten the surroundings and be picked by the public.
The idea is brilliant: Staff provide buckets for visitors to carry as they stroll among the many varieties of tulips, so they can place them in the bucket one by one while choosing others.
If you manage to pull them out, you can also take the bulbs home, which will bloom in your own backyard the following year. The activity involves a nominal fee that helps the association self-fund its efforts to expand its reach.
This year, the magic took place between the provinces of Florence and Livorno; here are the exact locations:
- Sesto Fiorentino: Parco del Bardo, Via Gramsci
- Scandicci: Parco dell’Acciaiolo (formerly CNR)
- Lastra a Signa: along the walls of Via Brunelleschi
- Pontassieve: Passeggiata Viale Diaz
- Livorno: Piazza Mascagni
- San Vincenzo: Via Biserno
and it will continue… With the hope that the flowers may multiply more and more and reclaim their spaces, a big thank you goes to the creator and the volunteers who are committed to spreading spring and wonder through our streets.
