Sunday 16 November 2008

Finnish Island Planting






Finland Week Three:

The Biomatrix Islands are are primarily an ecological art project. We are aiming for a balance between man and nature, aesthetics and functionality. As an art project it might appear disappointing if the Islands was indistinguishable from the landscape, but we also want them to blend in gracefully with the natural surroundings. One way of highlighting the special beauty of this manmade island will be with the plants. The plants that currently grow around the lake are bull rushes and phragmites. We will include twenty different native species, many of which are flowering.

The planting process is cold and wet. It is essential that the plants have their roots in the water. We have filled the triangle shapes within the hexagons with flax linen and we are planting into this lightweight natural material. The leaves of the plants will die over the winter but the roots should take hold and new shoots will appear in the spring.

It is essential not to disturb the birds as they come to nest on the islands and therefore the planting needs to occur in the Fall.

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