It seems to me that the politically correct idealists and the concerned paranoids are now the landscape designers and open space planners of the future. I guess when you have an interest in horticulture or even just enjoy the green retreat parks can offer you can easily be regarded as a greenie extremist by the masses that don’t really give a shit or care that parks and gardens could be a whole lot better.
I do appreciate the foresight of the suburb planners of the past who allowed for open spaces, ball kicking, dog walking, and bike riding, and relaxing places. However I do want more, selfish probably, self indulgent maybe but possible? Yep bloody oath!
My local park is great; I have four kids who have all enjoyed the luxury of having a park right across the road. My boys like to kick stuff my girls like to sit and watch the boys who kick stuff (they are my kids I can and will generalize) For me however the park is a bit boring even bland. I have always been interested in the texture of leaves the different sizes, shapes and colours, flowers to me are just a sweet bonus. Specifically my interest revolves around the broad category of plants once described to me by an old nurseryman that 'thrive on neglect' old fashioned, old school, tough as nails, cant kill em with a stick type plants.
I'm not advocating we completely eradicate grass and plant out our parks but what I would like to see is some of my hard earned rates being put back into improving the aesthetics of where I live. I recently asked a local parks and garden worker why some under story shrubs and grasses aren’t planted around the lonely old trees in our local park. His answer and yes I'm pretty sure he was serious was and I quote 'we don’t want to give the junkies anywhere to shoot up'.
I really do understand the concept of open space but come on do we need it to be so open? How about just a few plants around the edges or under some trees? As previously mentioned I do have kids so I do understand the community concerns about drug users leaving used syringes lying around but what are we sacrificing and for whom? To me it says more about the loosing battle the law makers are waging against drugs and less about the greater good of the resident’s healthy interaction with their park. Perhaps the topic for another rant but I hope you get my point.
Hi David, I think this really nails it - how hard is it really to provide high quality plantings in public open space? The excuses are many but the reality is that most people accept a low standard and the really stimulating and interesting landscapes and parks are regarded as "heritage" that you have to go and visit in the parks of the inner city. I have published this post on my blog too - I hope your fellow students will read it!
ReplyDeleteExactly. I miss the 'extravagance' of the Melbourne gardens of the 19th century. By extravagance I mean well thought out gardens that include more than just a patch of grass and a few metal park benches. Sure there may have been more money around for such projects back then but I think it is beyond money. The effort put into some public parks and gardens is almost a reflection on the efforts of some modern residential architecture. Keeping things simple: Concrete rendered boxes with zero personality to match the bare patch of grass beside it. Why not just concrete the grass! Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDelete