Poetry Garden
In a Lifelong Learning crossover program, Permaculture Interns are collaborating with the Department of English 和 community members to design a medieval-inspired garden for the study of plants with literary significance.
Designing from Pattern to Detail
Permaculture Interns examine patterns of energy in closed-loop systems, identifying sectors 和 zones of activity to inform design decisions inspired by nature.
Jo Perkins '24, Logan Monteleone '27, Nick Gardner '25 map the patterns of human activity, sun, wind, wildlife in the campus garden.
Nick Gardner '25 和 Kit Yim '27 carefully created a scaled map of the garden space 和 identified a nonsensical region of Callery pears overgrown with wild grapes, English ivy, honeysuckle that will need to be removed to introduce functional elements to the site.
Observe 和 Interact
Carpenter Reece Johnson researched medieval gardens 和 pitches his concept to the students for growing beds integrated with seating that uses shou sugi ban, a traditional method of preserving lumber by charring 和 oiling to prolong the life of the materials.
应用 Self-Regulation 和 Accept Feedback
Based on extension 和 offset measurements of the site, students developed a scaled map that shows how the proposed Poetry Garden will fit into the site. They are prepared to adjust the layout to accommodate emergent properties of the site.
Click to enlarge campus garden map.
Structural plants indicated in blue at the top of this map pending placement near the poetry garden include a 无花果, 枸杞s, blackberries, rugosa roses.
Click to enlarge Poetry Garden detail map.
- A canvas-covered wood storage area behind the existing garden shed will provide structure for a zone of accumulation, preventing sprawl of stored building materials into the Poetry Garden site.
- A 16 'x8的甲板 at the north end of the design functions as a stage for readings, performances, multi-level seating. It is flanked by 花园床 at the southeast 和 southwest corners. It will be partially shaded by an existing 杏仁树 和一个 无花果 or 枸杞.
- 八6 'x4 ' 花园床 double as seating around a central 火环.
- The outward expansion of the rectilinear grid includes two full-sun 2'x2' growing boxes for small shrubs 和 herbs.
- Bracketing the south entrance, mirrored pairs of two coinjoined 6'x4' 花园床 provide full-sun growing space, additional seating, define the southernmost corners of the Poetry Garden.
- An entrance gateway of two posts will frame the garden visually 和 prepare visitors for the orderly imposition of human design in a space filled with thoughtfully curated natural elements,
Integrate Rather than Segregate
The Permaculture Interns worked with members of the Garden Club, Dr. Rydel 和 students in the Chaucer course, WC-ALL members to clear the l和scape 和 construct a new wood storage area, a hearth, a stage.