Not So Beautiful Gardens

The way we speak about gardens is primarily as human-centered pieces of art. We use grandiose words praising the evocation of a place on our senses, privileging form and texture and color at every turn. We objectify nature for what it can do for us -- even in "natural" gardens. Beauty is not primarily what a plant is, but what a plant does; this level of beauty is far deeper and impactful, leading us into an experience of designed spaces that awakens the ethical in us as we also garden for life and environment. When we can look at a plant beyond our immediate senses -- when we can call upon our greatest gifts of intellect, inquiry, and compassion -- we'll soon realize that beauty as we've known it pales in comparison to beauty as we've forgotten to live it.