Nature is inherently a perfect system. When design pushes against the current a disconnect is created between man and nature. Modern man has used Architecture and Landscape Architecture to display it's dominance over the natural world. Perhaps it stems from America's Puritan beginnings, fortunately we're living in an exciting era where designers are creating symbiotically with the environment. An example of this is Arborsculpture.
Necessity is the mother of invention. During WWI and WWII the necessity for food due to shortages from the war effort compelled the Department of Agriculture to promote "Victory Gardens", asking American citizens to use their backyards, rooftops, and empty lots to be converted to self-sustaining community gardens in an attempt to resolve the food shortage problem. Indeed it did as up to 20 million Americans participated, growing 40% of consumed produce.
I’ve always had a propensity for handmade material. The satisfaction of creating something which spawned in your head then making that idea a real item is quite remarkable, and what drew me to design. As we embark into the sustainable age designing with previously used materials is a challenge of admirable quality and by some considered a necessity. Stumbling through the internet I came across a business owning many these things to which I admire.
Mother Nature has created quite the pallet for us. I’m often amazed by the vast variety of colors and textures available for landscape designers to “paint” with. Tradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’, common name ‘Purple Heat’ possesses those deep texture and color qualities that stick to the memory once experienced.
Tradescantia pallida is a Mexican native perennial which grows to roughly 1’ hgt. and 2’-4’ width. The deep purple succulent stems spread and criss-cross to a terminus of elongated purple leaves with faint splashes of turquoise. Few perennials claiming a ‘purple’ color truly compare to the Purple Heart.
The plant is know to be quite tough, tolerating full sun and some shade, and has even had success as a house plant. Water needs are minimal, and is cold hardy around 20 Degrees F. Although a native to the gulf coast of Mexico, Purple Heart will do well in zones 12-24, offering a great plant option to several areas. It can easily be propagated to add to other planting areas but will spread, so if you’re looking to contain it to a specific area, it will need to be cut back. But if contained in a pot, it will drape over the sides, and with a contrasting pot color, create a dramatic effect.
With its rich, deep purple color, Purple Heart is a killer compliment to greenish-blue tones of certain Agaves and other succulents. Compared to the bold texture of a large Agave, the finer texture of the Purple Heart is a great groundcover choice. Another great use is in hanging pots. Use a series of them in a row and the plant will create a cascading shade of purple. Depending on your homes exterior color, this could offer a unique look.
Let us know about your success or unsuccessful use of Tradescantia pallida, or suggestions/questions about it’s design application in the landscape.
One of the latest trends in the landscape world is the “Edible Lawn”. Not a new concept, people have actually grown food in any portions of there yard for centuries, but purely out of necessity. Now as the “green” movement spreads into the corners of even the laggard’s radar, edible front lawns are sporadically popping up in neighborhoods throughout the country.
At first glance I love the concept. I’m a want-a-be naturalist so anytime I see people living off the land it inspires me do the same. There are several reasons for the re-emergence of the trend, everyone and there brother going green, nothing wrong with that, raising food prices spawning theories of an approaching global food shortage, which will make growing our own food a necessity, and simply many jumping on a new trend.
And in this lies the problem. No matter how much I like the idea I fear this particular aspect of sustainable landscape might have come too soon, and has exposed itself to trendiness. You might ask, “Well, what’s wrong with that, as long as it’s positive”? I would say nothing, only trends have a way of imploding on themselves due to those joining don’t always understand the true reason for doing so, and without true conviction in what it is their doing, will take an alternate or easier route, further distancing themselves from the true purpose for growing one’s own food source.
I also have a bad habit of becoming a devil’s advocate, even on issues in which I believe in just to spur conversation. So, I hope I’m wrong and the trend grows in to something greater. This takes me to another thought, the growing revolt against lawns. Again, as one who loves the natural wild, I've looked at perfectly manicured lawn in disgust thinking, “how dare they.”
But after playing a bi-annual 40+ over round of golf on a pristine golf course, I had to ask myself, why do we love this? Because I did, the rolling clean cut hills of green, stripped of every single weed was calming and peaceful. Turf grass is not native to the US, brought over from England in the late 18th century by those wishing to replicate that same rolling country hillside feel to the states. So was it this psychological effect that has made Americans lawn obsessed?
One could argue a number of reasons. Naturally grocery stores make a full yard of crops a possible unnecessary chore. Or, could it be a lack of creativity or desire to define one’s inhabited space, and the simplest thing to do is lay down some Kentucky Blue?
I guess this whole lawn/no lawn/edible lawn issue has me analyzing our current residential landscape about how we got here and where we’re going. Being in the Landscape Architecture field, there’s nothing I’d love more then to see a vast interest of harmonizing one’s individual landscape with natural surroundings. I think to get there we need to acknowledge that we’re here, we have unavoidable impacts, and to educate ourselves on what landscape design can do to minimize those impacts.
I’d love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and experiences.
