Rick Darke is one of the foremost writers on landscape design and horti-culture (with an emphasis on "culture") in the US, if not the world. He's also a superb photographer, and an exciting speaker and lecturer. Thanks to Friends of the High Line for sponsoring this series of talks, and especially for making a Rick Darke presentation available on the web.
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| Northern Spur in October 2010 |
These two photos of the Northern Spur Horticultural Preserve, taken a year apart, illustrate the complexity of wildness manifested over time. Watch the presentation for an explication of this process.
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| Northern Spur in October 2011 |
James,
ReplyDeleteGreat suggestion as always. I really enjoyed it. How is your garden doing? Have you been back? Hope all is well.
Michael, I hope you did enjoy. I find Rick Darke extremely compelling. Haven't been out to the garden because the power is still off , probably until Friday (6 days!), and everything in the house is electric. We're thinking it's time to get a generator since this kind of thing may be the normal of the future.
ReplyDeletePeter, yes, subjective. He says what I want to hear, for sure. I heard that remark but just dismissed it since I couldn't really understand his intent. I thought it might be a form of self-deprecation, perhaps. Perhaps I'm more forgiving of people who say what I like. As to how Americans interact with each other, my opinion is that there is a growing lack of civility in personal and public relations. Just look at our politics. Increasing polarization, each side digging in their heels, growing anger. It's hard not to have apocalyptic fantasies.
ReplyDeleteHi James, I recently read about this park on the BBC website. It must be 14 years since I was last in NYC but this project alone has galvanised me to re-visit. Thanks for the clip - I shall watch when I get in from work this evening.
ReplyDeleteDave
Golly gosh and Jolly jumbucks!
ReplyDeleteDave, Come for a visit. Part 3 should be open in another year (though I don't know the exact schedule).
ReplyDeleteWilliam, I realize this is nothing new for you. Just common sense, but a common sense most people are totally unaware of.
ReplyDeletedear oh dear Mr Holt. Might i suggest a nice cup of tea! My lame comment was merely directed at the silly storm in tea-cup types whoever they might be! I have to admit I have become rather jaded by all the deep and meaningful palaver about gardens these days! This is fine coming from me who ranted and raved about the great dearth of in-depth stuff (afore thinkingridirons)for too many years..I have now seen the light and realise this whole new rampant genre is but just another angle to milk the cow! Give me standard mucker gardeners and their gardens anyday! Jemes I am allowing my blot on the landscape to completely relax this spring and the only intervention is to discretely remove the odd weed before they set seed. The art of not gardening may well be entering its final phase/faze!
ReplyDeleteI'd not heard of Rick Darke until last Summer.
ReplyDeleteI was shown a copy of his encyclopedia of grasses (in French) whilst shopping for drought tolerant plants at my favourite little nursery in the known universe. Great book.
Go-ahead for part 3 is a good thing.
Rob, Rick Darke's book on grasses is the best. He's also issued William Robinson's The Wild Garden wrapped in his own contemporary text, another one you might be interested in.
ReplyDeleteAnd we all shine on...
ReplyDeleteThanks again, James, for pointing us to this video. I finally got done viewing it after starting and stopping a few times! It's actually a very fascinating subject, I love how he challenges us to not just take things for granted, but ask ourselves what the reason is behind them. That steel yard in Germany is amazing...truly astounding. Of course, this all makes me really want to visit the High Line soon...sigh. The flipside is that the past few days, as I've driven around town, I keep seeing sites that would be great to transform into gardens...full of "directed serendipity" :-)
ReplyDeleteScott, I just read High Line: The Inside Story of New York City's Park in the Sky by Joshua David and Robert Hammond, the two guys who (with many, many others) made it happen. It's sort of a miracle that two guys who didn't even know each other stumbled into this almost epic undertaking, and managed to get people with the expertise, and the money, to make it happen. It's an amazing story and I highly recommend the book. The the short version is that these things don't happen easily. I too like Rick Darke's new way of looking at old things. Good luck with "directed serendipity" in pdx.
ReplyDeleteThe only way anything can go forward is with a firm grip on what went before.
ReplyDeleteThe spur is my absolutely favorite section of the High Line. Ironic, as it's also the smallest space!
ReplyDeleteBen, it's my favorite too. I stop to see how it has changed every time I go. I wonder, is it because it's the "purest" piece, isolated, out of reach?
ReplyDelete