This week I met up with those working on the Playful Plants project and those interested in it to explore Cutler Botanic Gardens and discuss the project. Among many others, we were joined by the 4-H Geospatial Science and Technology team, with whom we discussed future opportunities for collaboration! Below is a map of the garden, and a Dogwood in bloom.
Here are the highlights:
We started out by observing the corpse flower, which usually has a strong putrid odor. Here you can see my campus-based mentor Ashley Miller Helmholdt taking a sniff, while faculty sponsor Janet Loebach and I discuss what draws us to different plants:
We saw various “creeping” trees and shrubs which provide interesting hiding spaces!
While exploring, we discussed creative perspectives on the plants we saw.
The plants captured in these two pictures inspired a geometric garden:
This ominous tree and these fun seeds invited thoughts of Harry Potter and Dr. Seuss inspired gardens:
Mock strawberries provide excellent (edible) ground cover!
Water features evoked an enchanted feeling:
Plants like the “Wisest of Wizards” lily have engaging names, which could be incorporated into a scavenger hunt garden:
Next week, I will work with master gardeners to incorporate these engaging features into our Playful Plants guide!