garden design concept, with Anna Jursik
Like a garden, the field of ecology simplifies complex nonhuman communities for human legibility. In the chaos of climate change, humans seek stasis, ‘restoring’ and ‘preserving’ beloved landscapes into gardens. But disturbance generates possibilities - many beyond human understanding. By placing metal panels, prescribing a burn, spreading seeds, then ceding control to non-human forces, we set the stage for visitors to experience the ingenuity of plants in real-time.
Human gardeners create disturbance then cede control to seed, shadow, and time.
1. Lay a granite path through the plot and install nine metal panels and fire-dependent pine cones concentrated in a six meter square in the center.
2. Burn all existing vegetation and other materials within the square.
The metal panels record the fire through the emergence of a rainbow of color, warping, and/or corrosion. Their response will vary based on the height and temperature of the flames. Footprints, rain, and other disturbances leave tracks in the ash.
3. Spread grass and wildflower seeds within the square.
The plants germinate in the rich ash and organize themselves, revealing microclimates created by the metal panels, pine seedlings, existing topographies, and unknowns. This garden stands tall in contrast to the unburned edges of the plot. After a year, the metal panels are the only material evidence of the fire.
Fire-dependent pine cones will be placed before the burn. The seed mix will be applied evenly throughout the garden after the burn. The resulting density and distribution of plant species is determined by the microclimates created by the metal panels and pine seedlings. Wildflowers will cluster in areas of full sun, leafier perennials in shady spots. A matrix of adaptable grasses will grow throughout.
SEED MIX
Achillea millefolium
Carex plantaginea
Carex sprengelii
Deschampsia cespitosa
Elymus canadensis
Eryngium yuccifolium
Helianthus niveus
Liatris pycnostachya
Polygonatum biflorum
Schizachyrium scoparium
Symphyotrichum laeve
Thalictrum dioicum
CONES
Pinus banksiana
