Siobhán Madden

Garden Club Phase II | Artist Residency with Siobhan Madden

From February to September 2025, artist Siobhan Madden of The Natural School of Art led the second phase of the Garden Club residency in the Rathcoran Estate, weaving together gardening, creativity, and community wellbeing. Building on the Garden Club’s foundations, this phase focused on deepening engagement with the core group while opening space for children and families to join in as the evenings grew longer.

Together, participants cleared garden beds, planted and nurtured an abundance of vegetables and flowers, and explored creative practices inspired by the natural world. Children made dreamcatchers and mandalas with plant-dyed yarn, crafted stamps and inks from beetroot and other vegetables, and even discovered how to make soap and bubbles from wild meadow plants. Smoothies were shared, seed bombs were scattered in the meadow, and the group celebrated the rhythms of sowing, growing, and harvesting.

This residency fostered intergenerational connection and creativity through hands-on, nature-based art and gardening. As the project draws to a close with a reflective cyanotype and plant-dye series, Siobhan will create a deck of cards that captures the wellbeing and shared experiences of residents throughout the season.

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