Designing Place in Demonstration Gardens

University of California Master Gardener Conference Yosemite, October 2014

Patsy Eubanks Owens Professor of Landscape Architecture, UC Davis [email protected] A little about me • Faculty member in UC Davis Landscape Architecture Program since 1990

• Discovered the profession through 4-H - project demonstrations on designing landscapes during high school

• Work with school and community gardens A little about you • Who has created a demonstration garden? • Who would like to create one? • Who would like to improve the one you have? • Who has design experience? • Who knows their plants? Design 101! Goal for today

Focus on design components that can improve the function and visual quality of your garden Design 101! Presentation Agenda Project goals Site selection & context Site inventory and analysis Design programming Project gestalt/image Design principles Other considerations Project Goals Often done intuitively, but should be done deliberately Clearly articulate:

• Why do you want to create a demonstration garden?

• What do you want it to show? (plants, water use, materials, composting, history/culture, etc.)

• Who do you want to participate in creating it?

• Who do you want to benefit from it? Word of cauon – focus your intent; don’t try to be all things to all people Project Goals Often done intuitively, but should be done deliberately Clearly articulate:

• Why do you want to create a demonstration garden?

• What do you want it to show? (plants, water use, materials, composting, history/culture, etc.)

• Who do you want to participate in creating it? Washington State Children’s Garden • Who do you want to benefit from it? Word of cauon – focus your intent; don’t try to be all things to all people & Site Selection Context • This may or may not be done for you

• If your site is predetermined, let the site and its context guide your goals

Edmonton, OK • If you are selecting the site, look for a match with your goals & Site Selection Context • Chapter 2: A few things that might LBHS AT A GLANCE influence your site selection: Access to water Soil type and quality Existing vegetation Neighboring uses (schools, churches, etc.)

Nearby populations (age, Figure 2.1: Location context map of the school site and the surrounding areas. Street layout map from the City of Sacramento Department of Information Technology (2009); inlet image by Google- ethnicity) Imagery (2011) Located in the South Sacramento area, Luther Burbank High School is an Other? urban school site situated between two major commuter highways (Interstate 5 and Highway 99) and it sits along the high-density commercial strip on Florin

Road, reference map in Figure 2.1. Prior to the construction of the school, the site

was located on open, undeveloped land and sat on the floodplains of the

American River. The high school is one of 105 K-12 schools in the Sacramento City

Unified School District and it is was established in 1961 as a public school that

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SITE INVENTORY

Luther Burbank High School’s garden will be expanding beyond the

sixteen planters in agriculture yard that was used for gardening when the

agriculture program was still around. A survey of the inventory at the garden site included& various farm structures from the old agriculture program and various open turf area that are ideal for developing as part of the garden. The existing Site Inventory items in the study Analysis site include: Inventory – what is already there EXISTING SITE ITEMS Agriculture Structures Garden Structures Utilities

Portable Classroom 16 Raised Planters 3 Air Conditioning Units (in agriculture yard) (unattached from buildings) • Barn Natural elements (soils, 4 Raised Planters Water Control Unit 3 Sheds (near the greenhouse) 1 Light Pole vegetation, topography, Storage 4 Compost Stalls Greenhouse

drainage, rock outcroppings, Horse Stable (4 stalls)

2 Animal Pens climate – including sun/shade) Figure 5.3: Inventory of the existing structures and utilities in the study site Refer to Figure 5.6 for the overview of the existing site elements. • Physical elements (structures, circulation, utilities, fences)

• Visual elements (views into site, views out of site, unique features) Figure 5.4 7 5.5: View from the main entrance & view of the barn

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Helpful site analysis resources: New York Botanical Garden (nybg.org); CSE Landscape Architect (cselandscapearchitect.com) & Site Inventory Analysis Analysis – what’s the condition, quality

• Provides an assessment i.e. does the drainage work, are the trees healthy, are there views you want to capture?

31 • Informs design Figure 5.7: Site analysis and conditions of the study site decisions Design Programming • A program describes the elements you want to have in the garden, how they should function and approximate size

• The more thorough your program, the more Element Function Size complete your design A place for tools Enclosed, weatherproof, 100 s.f. lockable Entry Welcoming, fun, garden Large, wide name, visible from street and tall -- 6-8’ • Prioritize elements wide, 12-15’ tall because you may have to Group seating Master Gardener Seating for 8- area meetings, visitor group 12 meetings/demonstrations, let things go table or surface for materials or food

Design Program Design Programming • A program describes the elements you want to have in the garden, how they should function and approximate size

• The more thorough your program, the more complete your design

• Prioritize elements because you may have to let things go Garden Gestalt • What is the “sense of place” you want your garden to have? • What is the image you want to convey? Polk Co., Iowa

• Think of two or three words that capture this gestalt, the spirit • Let those words guide your decisions • Think of the gardens that you’ve liked the most – do they present a clear image? Centralia, WA Five Key Design Principles

Hierarchy Focal Points Order Multiple Dimensions Design Vocabulary CSU San Bernardino Demonstraon Garden Hierarchy Not all spaces are created equal • Main gathering areas • Smaller group areas • Intimate personal spaces

Not all paths are CSU-San Bernardino created equal • Main circulation • Secondary • Informal Hierarchy Not all spaces are created equal • Main gathering areas • Smaller group areas • Intimate personal spaces

Not all paths are CSU-San Bernardino created equal • Main circulation • Secondary • Informal Focal Points Main organizing element

• Landmark tree

• Gazebo

• Water feature Polk Co., Iowa Smaller destination points/ visual interest

• Bench

• Flowering plan

Vancouver Order • Defined spaces – use features to create order

• Clear distinctions between spaces – juxtapose different materials

• Clean lines – define where one space starts and the other stops Polk Co., Iowa Think in All Dimensions • Side to side – what is experienced to our side? • Front to back – what do we see ahead of us? Coming and going? • Floor – how does it change • Vertical – what are the “walls” and the “ceiling?” • Time – how does each season change the garden? Think in All Dimensions • Side to side – what is experienced to our side? • Front to back – what do we see ahead of us? Coming and going? • Floor – how does it change • Vertical – what are the “walls” and the “ceiling?” • Time – how does each season change the

garden? Kennewick, WA Consistent Design Style • Refer back to your “gestalt” • Signage • Paving Centralia, WA • Planters • Fencing • Even “softscape,” i.e. plantings Other Design Considerations • Visibility/Entry • Signage & interpretation • Plots & plants • Structures • Flexibility • Management • Humor & Fun • New technology

Compost toilet - Vancouver Other Design Considerations • Visibility/Entry • Signage & interpretation • Plots & plants • Structures • Flexibility • Management • Humor & Fun • New technology

Compost toilet - Vancouver Other Design Considerations • Visibility/Entry • Signage & interpretation • Plots & plants • Structures • Flexibility Washington State Univ. • Management • Humor & Fun • New technology

Polk Co., Iowa Compost toilet - Vancouver Other Design Considerations • Visibility/Entry • Signage & interpretation • Plots & plants • Structures • Flexibility • Management • Humor & Fun • New technology

Salem, Oregon Compost toilet - Vancouver Other Design Considerations • Visibility/Entry • Signage & interpretation • Plots & plants • Structures • Flexibility • Management • Humor & Fun • New technology

Salem, Oregon Compost toilet - Vancouver Last Thoughts • Consider seeking design assistance – Local professionals – Local professional association (American Society of Landscape Architects) – Recent graduates – Current students – Class projects • Engage community members

Salem, Oregon Compost toilet - Vancouver Discussion • Share your project with a neighbor – Goals & Gestalt

• Share with the group

• Advice for one another

• Questions/next steps

Salem, Oregon Compost toilet - Vancouver