February 19, 2024
By Thomas O’Connor 3 min read
As I sit here surrounded by your endless beauty, I find myself often in awe of your limitless creation. The gentle sway of the trees, the hues of vibrant colors you surprise me with and the enduring magnificence of your presence remind me of what is most important. As I immerse myself in your presence, I find it speaks to my soul and I am often reminded of your timeless wisdom. We can find solace, inspiration and divine connection from immersion into nature. As landscape designers I believe we must weave this very fabric into our practice.
The Dance of Design and Nature
I often look to a stream and wonder why it bends as it does, or why a tree grows taller only a few feet east of another. These clues often allude me to look further, why did nature do this and how can we integrate this best into our lives? I find the closer I study the irregularity of a landscape or the asymmetrical form of a tree grove, the better I am able to create beautiful spaces. Symmetry and order are brought to life through our minds and are what we do as well, yet connecting this back into the fabric of earth’s beauty is how we honor our space and create harmony in our lives.
The Wisdom of Nature
Nature teaches unlike anything else, offering us lessons of resilience, adaptability and interconnectedness. We can observe these things and gain valuable insight into the principles of sustainable design and balance with our local ecosystem. This encourages us to use native plants, natural stone and materials, and eco friendly practices to minimize our impact and support the surrounding ecosystem
Celebrating the Beauty of Connection
I encourage you to walk in the woods, free of distraction and alone and notice what is amongst you. I will sometimes do this and often find new thoughts, new ideas and new inspiration afterwards. Maybe it’s the exercise, maybe it’s the disconnection for a short while, maybe it’s the natural beauty around me or maybe it’s a bit of all three. But as a natural conduit of health and inspiration I find myself reconnected to something I was missing and find renewal in my approach to design. Earth’s beauty and majesty has been here long before us we should learn from her as we create anew, join us on our journey…
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