1-800-GOT JUNK Upcycle Garden

Discover the 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Upcycle Garden at the Canadian Tulip Festival!

Stroll along the scenic boardwalk at Dow’s Lake and step into a world of creativity at the 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Upcycle Garden. This whimsical display is a celebration of sustainability, featuring a unique garden crafted entirely from 100% recycled materials. Every element showcases the beauty of giving old items new life.

Take a moment to admire the artistic ingenuity, snap a few photos, and be inspired by the possibilities of upcycling. The 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Upcycle Garden is a must-see stop at the Canadian Tulip Festival, where nature and innovation bloom together!

Artist Statement – Recycled Adventures by Suzanne Begin

Everyone loves a good surprise. It seems adults experience this far less often than kids…

I want to fix that!

Using familiar items in unexpected ways, I create fun immersive landscapes to draw you into a whimsical,
magical space. I love to do this in a natural setting, where imaginary trees and flowers mix in with nature. My
forests have a day look and a night look – double the fun! At dusk, you can hold a blacklight in your hand and
surprise yourself as some of the pieces appear out of the darkness and other shapes seem to be moving as you
flash back and forth.

Another source of surprise is figuring out what I used to make the art. A vinegar jug can become a tree? And
that cumulous-cloud foliage over the transparent tree is… fishing line?! I love the quizzical look on viewers’
face as they try to match the original recycled objects to the art. If you start investigating your own recycling
bin and create mini projects to surprise your loved ones, I’ve done my job!

It’s a wonderful state of mind to look for “potential” in everyday objects. Elegant shapes, interesting colors,
unusual textures, all of this sends me dreaming up some otherworldly place, pretty much every day. I’m a
hedonist, really, and it’s actually a big part of my whole life philosophy, to “see the good.” I’m not going to
explain that very well in words…. and that’s why I build forests

Come visit me.