During the past six months, MEMBG staff, student workers, and volunteers have been carefully preparing and replanting what is to become--over time--The Nest landscape. Far from being seen as merely available ground to "stick" plants in confetti-style, we have heeded the advice of Japanese garden master Soami (ca 1520 A.D.), who stressed coherence, completion in construction, and dignity. "Too great a stress cannot be placed on the importance of the dignity or the spiritual quality of the nature represented. Caution should be taken not to be too anxious to overcrowd the scenery to make it more interesting. Such an effort often results in a loss of dignity and a falling into vulgarity."
Noble goals: coherence, completion, and a dignified representation of nature. To move toward those goals, we went through several stages of development for the site surrounding The Nest. We analyzed the slope's physical features, inventoried our plants living on the slope, prepared the soil and graded, pruned and removed plant materials, composed the landscape plan and plant palette of species to be used as new plantings, and only then did the planting.
The Nest is a rustic stone and wood amphitheater set in a quiet, shaded slope, adjacent to the four-story Botany Building. Major views from The Nest are toward the east and south; major views into The Nest and of the entire slope are from the service driveway and road and downslope from The Patio gate path. Among the tree inventory to be incorporated were the towering Torrey pine, Koelreuteria, our infamous female ginkgo within The Nest, Sapindus mukorossi, a large podocarp, and an evergreen form of sweet gum, Liquidambar styraciflua, from the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico. To improve aeration, percolation, and friability, the soil was loosened to a depth of eight to twelve inches over the entire slope using picks and mattocks--and strong backs! Three inches of Kellogg's Amend was incorporated into the top six inches with a 6-20-20 granular fertilizer, and the area was then raked to finish the grade. Rock work was also completed, and two new seating areas were created. One stunted elm tree was removed, several shrubs and herbaceous plants were relocated, while existing trees were carefully pruned with respect for the branching structure and to allow more sunlight onto the slope.
As work progressed, we were better able to visualize potential landscape compositions from several key vantage points. Numerous sketches were prepared, and variously sized pots were set up on the slope as props. But choosing the plant palette was challenging. The greater part of the area is very shady, and oak root fungus is present in the soil. In addition, MEMBG aims to use new or unusual plant species, especially those of near tropical or subtropical origins. All this needs to be considered, and places constraints on possible planting designs. Trying to pull these disparate facts together and actually accomplish something new has been daunting. But slowly and surely the project has come together, although it will take several years to fill out.
Perhaps we can pique your interest in the project by mentioning a few of the oddities now planted on the slope. Of Rubiaceae (relatives of coffee), from tropical Queensland comes Randia fitzalanii, a hardwood tree with large glossy, oval leaves. A species of persimmon (Diospyros, Ebenaceae), with delicious fruits and beautiful fall foliage years ago was brought back from Japan by Mildred Mathias, now transplanted from The Field. One specimen that we are hoping to succeed is the Chilean Drimys winteri (Winteraceae), which is a primitive-looking angiosperm tree with reddish stems and fragrant foliage. Magnolia x 'Elizabeth' is a rare, yellow-flowered fragrant magnolia (Magnoliaceae) resulting from a cross between M. acuminata and M. denudata, and trained on the fence is the similarly rare spring- and fall-flowering swamp jasmine, Gelsemium rankinii (Loganiaceae). Amongst these we have an interesting variety of shade-tolerant plants from eastern Asia, including Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea 'Crimson Pygmy' (Berberidaceae), Camellia sasanqua 'Shishi Gashira' and Ternstroemia japonica (Theaceae), Rhaphiolepis umbellata 'Minor' (Rosaceae), Ardisia japonica (Myrsinaceae), and Pachysandra terminalis and Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis (Buxaceae).
Come watch us grow!
J. DALE WITT, Senior Garden Manager