As part of my attempt to discover New York and the distinct neighborhoods of Manhattan I try to go for long walks with no real destination in mind; I just walk in one direction, turn onto streets that appeal to me, and see where they lead me. Today my aimless wandering led me to the “Time Landscape” a garden or ‘urban forest’ created in 1965 by Alan Sonfist.
The garden; photo from:http://newyorkdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2006/04/time-landscape-taste-of-nature.html
The garden, at the corner of Laguardia and West Houston immediately caught my eye as distinct from many of the other manicured and perfect gardens around the city. The name “Time Landscape” alludes to ecosystems and how they change and evolve over time. The garden is intended to emulate the pre-development ecosystem in New York City and Sonfist’s design integrates the element of time by creating plantings to represent each succesional stage in the landscape. The garden starts out with just grasses and early sucessional species, and then transitions to shrubby, light-loving species, and ultimately into the northern hardwood trees that once dominated this entire area.
Virtual tour of this amazing "living monument," the footage does not do it justice. Check it out for yourself if you get the chance!
As I walked through the garden I was immediately struck with the profound message that this landscape provides to New Yorkers. While New Yorkers may appreciate and enjoy the many gardens and green spaces around the city, the aspect of time and its relationship to the plants present is completely absent. Plants are chosen to have interest year round, dead plants are immediately removed from the landscape, and while the garden may change seasonally, it creates an artificially static landscape. How can we portray in a sexy and appealing matter this aspect of time in the landscape to the average, non-ecologist New Yorker?
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