Healing Gardens

Weekly reflection #1

January 17, 2007

1. The two texts describe the ecosystems, or zones of the Pacific Northwest in different ways. Duer and Turner describe the zones as Coastal Douglas Fir Zone, Coastal Western Hemlock Zone, Mountain Hemlock Zone, and Alpine Tundra Biogeoclimatic zone, describing the dominant species currently present in the ecosystem. In Natural History of the Puget Sound, A. Kruckeberg describes the zones by the tree species that is or would be dominant in the climax forest in the region/soil zone. These are described as Western Hemlock zone (lowland), Pacific Silver Fir Zone (Midmontane), Mountain Hemlock Zone (upper forested levels), and perhaps a fourth, Timberline to Alpine Zone.

2. The relationships between natural systems and cultural systems in the Northwest vary, as do the cultures that are present here in the northwest. There are a number of different cultures that interact and have relationships with the natural systems present here in the northwest. Three of these groups are First Peoples cultures, 3-4 generation immigrant cultures (homesteader immigrants that have been here for 3-4 generations at present), and 1^st generation immigrants who are just getting to know the northwest.

The two main relationships that I see from these cultures are: relationship with others inside the natural system, and domination over natural systems, or separation of man from natural systems. I think each group has one overarching general relationship with nature. However, there is becoming some crossover and adoption of different relationships inside and between these groups. While I think that the 3-4 generation immigrants certainly came to this land with a relationship of dominance over natural systems, and many still espouse this belief, some are beginning to adopt a belief that instead, they are related to the natural system, and in fact a part of that natural system.

3. Abies grandis (Grand Fir)
Acer circinatum (Vine maple)
Acer macrophyllum (Bigleaf Maple)
Alnus rubra (Red Alder)
Arbutus menziezii (Pacific Madrone)
Chamaecyparis nootkatensis (Yellow cedar)
Malus fusca (Pyrus fusca, Pacific Crabapple)
Picea sitchensis (Sitka Spruce)
Pinus contorta (Lodgepole pine)
Pinus monticola (Western White Pine)
Populus tremuloides (Quaking Aspen)
Populus trichocarpa (Black cottonwood)
Pseudotsuga menziezii (Douglas Fir)
Thuja plicata (Western Red Cedar)
Tsuga heterophylla (Western Hemlock)

Camassia esculenta (Camas)
Gaultheria shallon (Salal)
Polypodium glycyrhiza (Licorice fern)
Pteridum aquilinum (Bracken Fern)
Typha litifolia (cattail)
Urtica dioica(Nettle)
Vaccinium ovatum (Evergreen Huckleberry)

4. Two or three ideas from this last week that I could apply to work on a habitat area in the Longhouse Garden: Mimic natural ecosystem principals in landscape design and installation. Plant in clusters, makes patches into different shapes (corridors, round, uneven circles),Conduct floristic and/or vegetative analysis in the garden and in other similar habitats to determine proper species placement in the garden and recommendations for future plantings. Think of plant species composition according to plant succession inside each habitat. Harnessing this idea will bring a natural look to each habitat area in all of its stages and will provide the necessary habitat for current mature trees and plants, and provide appropriate habitat for smaller young plants that will eventually become the dominant mature species in the habitat area, if gardeners wish to allow successional planting. This idea may not be the wish of the gardeners for the Longhouse Ethnobotanical garden, but can be applied to other public and private gardens and revegetation projects.