Garden Project
1.Cineese Garden
FRINQ 131K
Garden/Landscape Project
Ana Plugatar
03/01/16
Category A:
Chinese Garden
As you enter the Lan Su Garden, or “The Garden of Awakening Orchids”, the first thing that captures the eye is the beautiful lake surrounded by exquisite Pagoda’s. You feel guided from start to finish, transported into a quiet serenity of an ancient culture in the middle of a busy city. The shapes contrast one another in perfect harmony, the architecture balances the nature and enhances its presence. This settling quiet has the most appeal to me, it makes you want to sit and meditate for a minute, slow down and clear your mind. A soft sweet fragrance of Chinese paper bush fills the air. The only evidence of modernity are the ghostly shades of glass buildings peeking into the smooth waters of the lake from the turmoil of the outer realm.
The oriental Chinese culture is ancient, one of the smartest in this entire world. Their tradition, from nutrition to martial arts had ages of reason to build from minds of the greats. According to every Si Fu, the world needs balance. A human being must exist in harmony with every aspect of nature, since it nurtures him into and through life. The queer shapes of the bulky rocks in the garden made me think about just how skillful is nature- it must've taken decades to create that kind of structure, with wind or heat or other. It has a rather thin base that is holding up a massive weight and yet is still standing. The way every object is utilized in the garden- the therapeutical floors of small pebble rocks, the blankness of the walls meant to lead your attention away from the artificial, the open aerial appearance of pagoda's, the sky in the lake- everything leads me to think how the only thing this genius needs is sustainability. The invention, the revolution, the simulation are all ways of disruption. All we should be doing is trying to sustain it.
Stepping out, I can't help but feel the need to return and balance myself again.
2. Rose Garden
FRINQ 131 K
Garden/Landscape Project
Ana Plugatar
03/01/16
Category B:
International Test Rose Garden
During this time of the year the rose garden doesn’t look too colorful. Yet it is still softly breathing with mellow greens. Thin rose stems to the left and right, carefully trimmed and prepped for blooming. There’s a very few architectural structures. A brick walkway leading into the heart of the garden- a little bench with a sundial right in front of it. An engraving on the wall says “Of all flowers, methinks rose is best.”
This place definitely invites the viewer for a slow walk. The meaning behind the sundial in the Shakespeare garden is to ponder over time, perhaps notice the beauty of a flower and try to understand its purpose in this harsh world. A long staircase at the entrance leads down to a green coliseum around a performance stage. All the world’s a stage, but it is also very important we slow the time and notice the colors around us while we play.
Laurelhurst Park
FRINQ 131K
Garden/Landscape Project
Ana Plugatar
03/01/16
Category C:
Laurelhurst Park
This park is drowned in greens, their dim shadows shrouding the world from view. It’s located in a quite populated district of Portland, so there are lots of benches to catch a breath on and picnic tables for families’ enjoyment. The Firwood Lake is hidden in the winding walkway, pleasantly popping up at a turn. The noise of street traffic is fading the deeper you go.
As I observed a small boy walking with his parents and playing with their small puppy, I thought about family values. Everything in this park is oriented at showing off the beautiful nature, there aren’t many architectural structures. My eyes resting on the emerald green lake. This seems like a place to bring people together, to forget about the tedious routines of business days and just enjoy a puppy’s silly attempts at catching bugs. The time comes at a halt here. I wish I had more daylight to watch this lake be still.
