Rocks like sculptures. Suzhou Gardens

 

I have written about sculptures in the gardens and rocks, but to have rocks considered as sculptures in themselves, is an added value. I find these formations of complex (fractal like) morphology amazing, they are lime rocks in combination with landscape, waterscape and architecture. Note the scale of the stones.......

I am sharing here some screen shots from the video Classical Gardens of Suzhou, VideoChinaTV, YouTube.

No need to explain too much about this beauty of carved and sculptured nature. Please click on the link above for details and to see how the stone caves are mysterious dark frames for architecture in the light.

Wishing Trees

 

Tree of wishes for cancer patients or tree of offerings. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, personal archives 2018

The first time I've seen a wishing tree, it was a tiny tree, a branch I'd say, that was part of an Altar during the celebration of Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos, back in 2018 (picture above). I felt pretty emotional because it was meant for good wishes for cancer patients, or even for offerings to those who had passed away. People could select the ribbons, in different color, and I said a prayer dedicated to a dear friend of mine. 

Everybody has wishes, expectations, and in hard times, Covid times, the Wishing Tree of Descanso Gardens was "in bloom" with around 10,000 pink notes.

The "Wishing Tree", picture from Descanso Gardens.org

The "Wishing Tree," was a participatory installation by artist Kaz Yokou Kitajima, it has been on view at Descanso Gardens since Nov. 14. It has "bloomed" bigger daily, as visitors added more wishes, dreams, and hopes. (Adapted from NBCLos Angeles.com). Visitors have been invited to leave their notes with the "good vibes" for 2021. The tree was created with reclaimed wood from a "downed" tree in the garden.

The "Wishing Tree" in full bloom, photo from NBCLosAngeles.

Other interesting Wishing Trees are Yoko Ono's in Pasadena. These one I've seen in a You Tube video, I don't know what happened next but Yoko would be receiving all the notes (around 10,000) with wishes, she'd bury them in Iceland and create a sort of Lantern with light of hope as an homage to John Lennon.

What I like from all those trees, regardless the aesthetics in the different results, is the human expectation. A woman reads in the video a note expecting that at least 50% of those wishes would come true!

Yoko Ono’s interactive artwork WISH TREE (1996) has been integral to many of her exhibitions around the world in museums and cultural centers where people have been invited to write their personal wishes for peace and tie them to a tree branch. (Text and picture from imaginepeacetower.com) By the time this article  on Imagepeacetower was written, she had collected 1,000,000 notes.

1,500 Oaks to rebuild the Notre Dame spire

 

Picture from The Guardian. Credit to Francois Mori/AP

Every time we submit plans in CA cities with oaks, we have to declare if there are oaks inside-outside the lot and if there is the intention to remove them, which would be not a choice for us, so important historical oaks are.

There are different species of oaks in CA and I had the surprise to see, in Pasadena, there are some Jack Blue Oak Trees from the East Coast. 

Urban oaks in Pasadena. Photos by Myriam Mahiques, 2020. Personal archives.

So today I am reading this article on The Guardian which is informing us 1,500 oaks aged 150 and 200 will be needed to rebuild the spire of Notre Dame Cathedral which was on fire in April 2019. 

I have some mixed feelings about it, being and architect and with such a love for landscape and trees.

But Notre Dame is an architectural treasure and of course the sacrifice of oaks will be fine while (as it is stated in the article) they will be replaced for brand new oaks to be utilized by future generations. 

From the article:

"Emmanuel Macron said the 850-year-old cathedral would be rebuilt by 2024, but there were questions over whether the spire, added in 1859 by the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, would be reproduced with a “contemporary gesture” as the president had hinted. 

 Last July, Macron announced the spire would be reconstructed exactly as it was. This is expected to require up to 1,000 oaks aged between 150 and 200 years old. The trees must be straight, 50-90cm (20-36in) in diameter and between 8 and 14 metres tall. They must be chopped down by the end of March before the sap rises, otherwise the wood will be too humid. Before being cut into beams, the trunks will be allowed to dry for up to 18 months." (....)

"Work to restore the cathedral is not expected to begin until the beginning of 2022. Carpentry experts say rebuilding Notre Dame as it was will take 2,000 cubic metres of wood, requiring about 1,500 oaks to be cut down. The cathedral’s roof contained so many wooden beams it was called la forêt (the forest). The roof’s support included 25 triangular structures 10 metres high and 14 metres across at the base, placed over the stone vaults of the nave."

NOTE: Read the full article clicking on the link above.

Do it yourself DIY Tree deep watering system

 

I have been navigating the City of Monrovia web page, looking for contact phones, and I came across with this interesting information about tree watering during the drought. Of course we are in rainy season, but it has not been that rainy this year, and I've already read on the newspaper, it may be worst for this coming wild fires season in California Summer.

Sharing from 

https://www.cityofmonrovia.org/your-government/public-works/water/water-conservation/tree-watering

Drill half inch holes in a 3" wide PVC pipe. Space the holes 1-2 inches a part. You can use a wood spade bit for this project. 

Mark the spots where you will be burying the pipes. Typically this should be just outside the tree's root ball; about half way between the tree trunk and the edge of the canopy. 

 Dig a hole deep enough for the two-foot pipe. Make sure the pipe will be level with the ground and place a small grate over it. This will help eliminate accidents with lawn mowers and eliminate clogs. 

Bury the pipe in the ground and back fill it with dirt. Do not fill the inside of the pipe with dirt; this is where the water will go. 

Put a garden hose inside the PVC pipe and turn on the water. Let water run until you feel the ground is saturated.

As a bonus, they have this infographic:

Front yards of Long Beach

 

I have been walking around a residential neighborhood close to 10th st, in Long Beach, southern CA, and I am happily surprised to see the front yards, which are "waterwise" and much more creative than those we have in Orange County. 

I have taken some courses on line offered by the G3 group, through the Metropolitan Water District in Southern CA, related to turf removal (and replacement with drought tolerant species) and garden designs also related to Sanitation in L.A., which is part of so many residential and commercial architectural projects, and not necessary of landscape.

I want to share some important links for those who are interested on the rebate program, the replacement of turf and waterwise gardens:

Regional rebates

https://www.bewaterwise.com/

CA friendly and waterwise landscaping guidebooks

The Waterwise garden

Plants research

I can clearly see that these gardens are not designed by professionals but they are showing a lot of love and care. Which is so important. 

This is my favorite one, full of native cactus and succulents.

The one below, I like it a lot as well. It needs more water, but wilderness is my favorite style.

There is also a lot of plantation in the right of way. This is something that the City of Santa Ana promotes as well, drought tolerants next to the sidewalk, instead of grass. See how the ground cover extends below the railing.

This garden is more eclectic and the roses are protagonists. See some decorative stones have been added and paths are around to walk and maintain the garden.

This one has a path of stepping stones on the mulch. I think it must have been under the rebate program.

I took this picture as an example of an interesting divider, a sort of planter, with concrete cylinders of different heights. See the tones and shadows of the red leaves during the golden hour. 

This bicolor wood fence with the bush in the corner is unusual in southern CA, I find it very interesting as well.

This is a real surprise for me. I would have never expected raised beds in the right of way. I am wondering if traditional neighbors in Orange County would accept this. But people of Long Beach have a culture of producing the veggies themselves. My compliments to whoever made them.

The bushes are overgrown here and the house can't be clearly seen. The right of way has plants as well. I think with some trimming it would look great.

The design guidelines of the City of Santa Ana make us aware of succulents and cactus with thorns in the right of way. They look beautiful, but of course they have to be trimmed regularly.

This palm tree is truly splendid and I believe nobody complains to walk under the "tunnel" created by the leaves.

The following pictures belong to my 2024 archives. We can see the beauty of cactus and succulent gardens, including native California poppies.

Another combination I've seen is poppies with wild grasses and lavender.  And even Sunflowers in the right of way. Some front yards have lots of flowers in Springtime.