Productive Landscape
December, 2023
Coconut groves in a village home in Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Food has always captivated my interest, becoming a theme whenever I travel to new places. Exploring local markets and savoring a diverse array of regional cuisines is a ritual I eagerly indulge in during my travels. If time allows, I'm drawn to the origins of food, venturing into fields to witness firsthand where the ingredients come to life.
In a world dominated by mass production, residing close to the source of food is a luxury. However, in a lot of places, it is still an everyday experience.
In a world dominated by mass production, residing close to the source of food is a luxury. However, in a lot of places, it is still an everyday experience.
A village home in the Mekong Delta epitomized this connection, with nearly all ingredients sourced from the surrounding garden. Morning glories and beans were picked fresh to make the stir fries. Banana flowers were pealed to make salads. We can pick any fruit we like from the garden: star fruit, bread fruit, coconuts, mangoes, and a lot of things we can’t identify. The garden is not about efficiency. There is a bit of everything grown, just enough to support the family and the guests. The freshness and the feeling of satisfaction is very memorable.
In the mountain town of Banos, Ecuador, a local market displayed an astonishing variety of bananas and mangoes. A mountaintop hotel seamlessly integrated vegetable gardens with orchards and ornamental plants amidst the clouds. The interplay of textures, colors, and abundant food in this setting demonstrated that gardens could transcend mere functionality, becoming sources of beauty and sensory relaxation.
In Louna, China, there is an annual spectacle where Brassica rapa adorns the landscape with a sea of vibrant yellow blooms every February. Here, food wasn't just sustenance; it was a breathtaking display of beauty.
Reflecting on these experiences, questions arise: How can we rethink people's intimate connection to their food sources? How can we transform productive gardens into aesthetically pleasing landscapes? These are the topics I am committed to exploring further in my ongoing work. As we strive to strike a delicate balance between production and aesthetics, the potential to create gardens that are both functional and beautiful becomes a compelling journey worth undertaking.
