Tempo Plants: This Brunswick live music venue now has its own nursery

Words by Jakeb Smith

All profits from Tempo Plants go to charity, as is the case with the live music venue.

Just off Sydney Road’s beaten path, unassuming amongst the low-rise apartment buildings, stands Tempo Rubato. The live music venue, with its exposed concrete walls and metal piping, caters to classical music lovers and beyond, offering an intimate space for music to be performed and experienced.

Not content with providing unpretentious gigs, the Brunswick not-for-profit has added another string to its bow during Melbourne’s many lockdowns: a permanent nursery of indoor plants and handcrafted pots.

What you need to know

Introducing Tempo Plants, the new nursery connected to beloved Melbourne live music venue, Tempo Rubato
A natural extension to an already plant-friendly venue, Tempo Plants came about during Melbourne’s many lockdowns
The nursery is open from 10am, Saturdays and Sundays, and whenever there is a concert at Tempo Rubato

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Titled Tempo Plants, all profits from the venture go to music charity the Piano Project, which helps to provide music education and resources to those who might not ordinarily have access to them.

With an already-established affinity for greenery, Tempo Rubato owner Georgina Imberger says the emergence of Tempo Plants was only natural.

“We’ve always had plants in Tempo, it felt inevitable that that tendency would grow, that things would become greener and greener,” she says. “When we did the fit-out, I tried to keep the canvas as smooth and simple as possible, let the solidity of the structure be the main focus. I think that the character comes from that form, and then the detail has grown as different personalities have come through.

“It is such a joy to see how it changes with each chapter. And then how those changes bounce off the music, a crowd, a mood. Just moving one artwork can change the way it feels for me when I walk in. The plants add a dynamic element that we love, it’s like they’re the orchestra of the space. It is a jungle right now. Wonderful.”