The front lawn is the green welcome mat for millions of North American homes. It epitomizes the pride owners have in their homes. Architect Fritz Haeg has other ideas about the front lawn, and these ideas are being met with great interest all over the world.
Haeg, who lives in Los Angeles, does not believe his is a radical proposition. He seeks to convert the grassy spaces into kitchen gardens. He has been partnering with museums in the United States as well as London. The results have received positive press in major publications worldwide.
The planting takes about three days, but the results are more than worth the efforts, Haeg believes. He said that a great deal of information on the project is available in videos, photographs, exhibits, workshops and websites. He also wrote a book, published in 2008, on the gardening process.
According to Haeg, many people are concerned that potentially arable land is used only for decorative purposes. The concept of micro-farming could yield not only food, but encourage neighbours to connect more with each other.
Haeg said that the contentious U.S. presidential campaign of 2004 spurred him to consider what could be done to help eliminate the increasing political polarization among Americans. When he thought about front lawns, he evaluated that they could be repurposed. He aspired to plant gardens in different regions of the U.S., showing what could be achieved in a diverse array of neighbourhoods and climate zones.
The first front yard to be reclaimed as a kitchen garden was located in Salina, Kansas. It featured vegetables appropriate for hot Midwestern summers. Since then, gardens have been planted in New Jersey, New York City, Texas, Maryland and California. A garden has also been started in a council-house complex in London.
ไม่มีความคิดเห็น:
แสดงความคิดเห็น