"The thing about discipline, is not doing a small number of significantly large things well, it is doing a large number of totally insignificant things that nobody else sees, every time without compromise." Herb Elliot
I am already seeing space differently than I was prior to the Barnes Horticulture classes. This is huge! No pun intended – I am seeing the huge objects, negative space, the shapes created by the lawn, a road, a massing of plants, even the effect of an automobile. Indoors I am seeing space differently too. The height contrast between a lamp and a painting, for example. Rearranging furniture and wall décor as a kid instilled some strange sense of confidence with manipulating space, but I am still overly critical of my “design” choices and often uneasy of how others see it.
I don’t know what age I started rearranging. I know that in middle school, friends’ parents loved me as a guest because I would clean out and organize their kid’s messy bathroom cabinets and dresser drawers. Inside and outside, I’ve always worked with what I have (with very few exceptions). I most likely started redoing my mom’s garden last summer because I couldn’t stand the cluster-mess it turned into while she was at the shore. Redoing = removing a crap ton (I’ve really gotta work on my diction) of weeds, watering heavily, and laying down some mulch, a little pruning, and watering some more. I wanted it to feel better!
I always want space to feel good. I think human nature – our intuition, the subconscious – paints an impression most people don’t think twice about upon entering a new space. I know that if I am going to spend any time in one place, I’d like to feel comfortable and hopefully like what I see. As far as horticulture, and designing with limited resources goes – I feel like I bit off more than I can chew. Truthfully I failed to look up the definition of horticulture before enrolling in the program. I didn’t enroll in the course with intention of creating a one-of-a-kind work-of-art garden like my grandmother’s. I felt based on the course descriptions it was a good match for this road I chose of playing in people’s gardens and making a big mess 4x a day. I am used to cleaning up a space and leaving it at that. I am a bit hesitant to even share photos of what I am working on because my (garden) space is not perfect. With that said, I learn by doing. Trial and error. Making mistakes. I am going to go outside and make some rearranging happen in my own garden. But ohh…… there is just one specimen that would really make the garden come together!
I don’t know what age I started rearranging. I know that in middle school, friends’ parents loved me as a guest because I would clean out and organize their kid’s messy bathroom cabinets and dresser drawers. Inside and outside, I’ve always worked with what I have (with very few exceptions). I most likely started redoing my mom’s garden last summer because I couldn’t stand the cluster-mess it turned into while she was at the shore. Redoing = removing a crap ton (I’ve really gotta work on my diction) of weeds, watering heavily, and laying down some mulch, a little pruning, and watering some more. I wanted it to feel better!
I always want space to feel good. I think human nature – our intuition, the subconscious – paints an impression most people don’t think twice about upon entering a new space. I know that if I am going to spend any time in one place, I’d like to feel comfortable and hopefully like what I see. As far as horticulture, and designing with limited resources goes – I feel like I bit off more than I can chew. Truthfully I failed to look up the definition of horticulture before enrolling in the program. I didn’t enroll in the course with intention of creating a one-of-a-kind work-of-art garden like my grandmother’s. I felt based on the course descriptions it was a good match for this road I chose of playing in people’s gardens and making a big mess 4x a day. I am used to cleaning up a space and leaving it at that. I am a bit hesitant to even share photos of what I am working on because my (garden) space is not perfect. With that said, I learn by doing. Trial and error. Making mistakes. I am going to go outside and make some rearranging happen in my own garden. But ohh…… there is just one specimen that would really make the garden come together!