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The
square foot landscaper is responsible for most of the lack of intelligence
and interest in the natural world in our own backyards. A square foot landscaper
designs by measuring the mulch, the sod, the number of sprinkler heads, the
length of edging, stone walls, the number of shrubs on the foundation, the
tree in the front and backyard. There is no consideration for creativity natural
features, where is the sun rising and setting which way does the breeze come
from, where is the kitchen window, how will I move through the garden. The
simplest distinction could be landscapers and gardeners. It is quite amazing
how many square foot gardeners know absolutely nothing about horticulture,
taxonomy, botany. They go to the nursery with a list of needs, “I need
six shrubs that grow in the shade and will get so high and are drought tolerant”
Many Square foot landscapers do not even know botanical names history country
of origin for plants. The question is how with so little knowledge can a landscaper
do a competent job, a creative job. The answer is the customer knows less
than the landscaper.
What I hope to explore here is how can we redirect our attention away from
landscaping and to gardening so that we can reap the benefits of our natural
world
What defines a landscape in terms of maintenance is lawn mowing blowing driveways,
sidewalks, repairing sprinkler systems, mulching trees and beds, and trimming
trees so that there are absolutely no dead branches. What defines the maintenance
of a garden is usually hand weeding trimming back overgrown perennials removing
dead flowers, seeding for the next season and planting where there might be
empty spaces. Landscapes usually need to be maintained constantly to keep
everything looking the exact same while gardens constantly change. Landscapes
are defined by hard monotonous labor while gardens are defined by musing and
decision making planning preparing. Gardens are designed to give repose and
solace while landscapes fill the need to look a certain way to express a certain
ideal, to transform the exterior world into a conceptual space. In nature
things expand or contract they stay the same for an instant this is represented
in the laws of thermal dynamics. Only man would try to keep the land in stasis.
The seasons are expressions of this expansion in the spring and contraction
in the fall. Seeding your lawn with rye grass so everything is green and mowed
in th winter is some what contrary to the natural order of things. That is
not to say we do not grow daffodils, crocus hyacinths, and some varieties
of tulips because these plants defy winter and grow in the winter and sleep
in the summer.
Realize i am not say that you do
not need to know how much a row of shrubs cost or how dirt and rocks are.
What i am saying is these should not be the defining aspect of a landscape
but a subset of a design