Pruned — On landscape architecture and related fields — ArchivesFuture Plural@pruned — Offshoots — #Chicagos@altchicagoparks@southworkspark
1
The Very Rich Hour of a Compost Pile
The Very Rich Hour of a Compost Pile by John Pfahl

More John Pfahl: “The title of this series pays homage to the fifteenth century illuminated manuscript entitled Tres riches heurs du Duc de Berry. In it the Limbourg brothers depicted, in minute and loving detail, the passage of the seasons over various medieval landscapes.”

The Very Rich Hour of a Compost Pile by John Pfahl

The Very Rich Hour of a Compost Pile by John Pfahl

“My Compost pile, situated in a hidden corner of the garden, constantly changes with the passing months. The rich efflorescence of rotting vegetable matter creates a daybook of both the memorable and mundane meals that grace my table.”

The obvious question is: why in a hidden corner?

It needs to be a centerpiece of the garden — a technicolor tapis vert, lush and vibrant as any medieval tapestry. It even has its own sprawling battle scenes whose iconographies are taken from Charles Darwin.

This is no Paradise Garden. It's a Naturalist Wonderland of consumption, putrefaction and defecation, a celebration of decay where growth and vigor are venerated.

An inversion of Marc Quinn's own colorful garden.

The Very Rich Hour of a Compost Pile by John Pfahl

The Very Rich Hour of a Compost Pile by John Pfahl

Invite neighbors to help maintain the parterres. Chitchat about each other's dinner: “Chicken pot pie?” “Oh, no. We had fish last night.” “So how are the kids?”

Building a sense of community in a landscape of decay.


Extreme Horticulture
Living Dead
0 COMMENT —

Post a Comment —
Comments on posts older than a week are moderated —

—— Newer Post Older Post —— Home
1