The Power of One

“The snakes died in the heat, without any tree cover. I sat down and wept over their lifeless forms. It was carnage. I alerted the forest department and asked them if they could grow trees there. They said nothing would grow there. Instead, they asked me to try growing bamboo. It was painful, but I did it. Nature has made a food chain; why can’t we stick to it? Who would protect these animals if we, as superior beings, start hunting them?” – Jadav Molai Payeng, who single-handedly created a 1360 acre forest.

Villa Durazzo Pallavicini

The Villa Durazzo-Pallavicini is a villa with notable 19th century park in the English romantic style and a small botanical garden. The villa now houses the Museo di Archeologia Ligure, and is located at Via Pallavicini, 13, immediately next to the railway station in Pegli, a suburb of Genoa, Italy. The park and botanical garden are open daily.

The estate was begun in the late 17th century by Clelia Durazzo Grimaldi, who established the Giardino botanico Clelia Durazzo Grimaldi at that time. Today’s remarkable park was created by her nephew Ignazio Alessandro Pallavicini after he inherited the property.

The park was designed by Michele Canzio, set designer for the Teatro Carlo Felice, and built between 1840 and 1846. It covers some 97,000 m² of hillside behind the villa. Although recognizably in the English romantic style, the garden is highly theatric, to the point of being organized as a series of scenes forming a play with prologue and three acts (Return to Nature, Memory, Purification). Structures and statues through the garden form focal points to this libretto.

When the park opened in September 1846, on the occasion of the VIII Congresso degli Scienziati Italiani, it quickly gained national fame. In 1928 its current owner, Matilde Gustinani, donated both park and botanical garden to Genoa for use as a public park. Through the remainder of the 20th century, the garden fell into some disrepair, and indeed was threatened in 1972 by construction

of a nearby highway. Its restoration began in 1991, however, in honor of Columbus’ discovery of America. As of 2006 about half of the park is open for visitors.

The park contains two ponds, a dozen notable structures, various statues, and an extensive grotto. The grotto represents a Dantesque Inferno, with walkways and subterranean lake through which the visitor may ascend to Paradise. In former years, visitors could explore the grotto by boat. Structures include a Coffee House in the shape of triumphal arch, Rustic House, Madonna’s Chapel, Mausoleum of the Captain, Temple of Diana, Flower House, Turkish Temple, Obelisk, and Chinese Pagoda.

The park also contains a number of plantings of botanical interest, including mature specimens of Araucaria bidwilli, Cedrus libani, Cinnamomum camphora’, Jubaea chilensis, Notelaea excelsa, Firmiana simplex, Quercus suber,Podocarpus macrophillus, lots of extotic palms and a wonderful stand of some 160 Camellia japonica.

Poseidon Undersea Resorts

Every little boy or girl loves to play with toys, however there comes a point in time when life takes over and all those much loved toys get lost in the attic. The Poseidon Undersea Resort from Fiji is the world’s first seafloor resort and the only place where you can spend a couple of days 40 feet under water in a luxurious environment. The resort is located in the crystal clear water of a 5,000 acre Fiji lagoon

Guests gain access to their underwater suites through an elevator that transports them 40 feet undersea. Approximately 70 percent of each room is encased with a 4-inch thick clear acrylic that allows vacationers to look out at the coral gardens that surround their room. They can even interact with the marine life in the proximate environment. At the push of a button from their “control console,” guests can feed the fish around their suite.

In addition to the unique living quarters, the resort boasts a number of amenities that includes a full-service spa, fitness center, and library. Sounds tempting? The price is cheap for this type of adventure: A week at the Poseidon Undersea Resort from Fiji costs $30,000 per coupe and it includes transportation from the International Airport of Fiji, four nights in a luxury beachfront or over water villa, two nights in a luxury underwater suite, diving on board a luxury expedition submarine outside the lagoon and many more attractions.

 

Parco Mediceo di Pratolino – Villa Demidoff (Medici Park at Pratolino – Villa Demidoff)

 

The beauty and mystery of renaissance gardens seems only to grow once given over to centuries of abandonment. Such is the case of Villa Demidoff.

Commissioned by Francesco I de’ Medici in the 16th century Villa Demidoff and the nearby Villa di Pratolino took over 12 years to complete. The end result was a stunning near-labyrinth of natural caves, lakes and massive sculptures. Of the statuary, the 16th century “Appennine Colossus,” is the main focal point of the landscape. He sits atop a grotto in apparent anguish at his fate.

 

Although most of the park and villa was completed in the 16th century, it was all but abandoned in the early 1800s, and some of its delicate statues were actually removed and taken to another Italian garden. Slowly being consumed by nature, the gardens were finally rescued by Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, who was so struck by their natural beauty of the place, that he decided to destroy the ruins of the villa and focus completely on the gardens themselves.

After changing hands a few more times, the wild grounds eventually fell into the hands of the government of Florence, who operated the area as a public park during the spring and summer months.

 

Supertrees in Singapore

Singapore’s latest development finally blossomed last month, with an imposing canopy of artificial trees up to 50 meters high towering over a vast urban oasis.

The colossal solar-powered supertrees are found in the Bay South garden, which opened to the public on June 29. It is part of a 250-acre landscaping project – Gardens by the Bay – that is an initiative from Singapore’s National Parks Board that will see the cultivation of flora and fauna from foreign lands.

The man-made mechanical forest consists of 18 supertrees that act as vertical gardens, generating solar power, acting as air venting ducts for nearby conservatories, and collecting rainwater. To generate electricity, 11 of the supertrees are fitted with solar photovoltaic systems that convert sunlight into energy, which provides lighting and aids water technology within the conservatories below.

Varying in height between 25 and 50 meters, each supertree features tropical flowers and various ferns climbing across its steel framework. The large canopies also operate as temperature moderators, absorbing and dispersing heat, as well as providing shelter from the hot temperatures of Singapore’s climate to visitors walking beneath.

The project is part of a redevelopment scheme to create a new downtown district in the Marina Bay area, on Singapore’s south side. Project organizers hope the completed Gardens by the Bay will become an eco-tourist destination showcasing sustainable practices and plants from across the globe.

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Gardens by the Bay in Singapore

Celebrating Nature and Sculpture at Alta Vista Gardens

After being chased by a storm we finally begin our sojourn on April 1, 2012.
The birth of our new collaboration takes place in the ceremonial Sculpture Garden with a Musical Vignette of Music, Dance and Prose of Wisdom Revealed. Stefani Stevens carries the show with her original lyrics and sultry tunes as France Marie Christina Wurz dance around the heart shaped pond.
The Golden Torsion Sculpture by Lia Strell, proudly in its center inspires us to keep focused on our dreams with intention and compassion.
Joyce Golden Seyburn reminds us that we are awakening to a wondrous power within to reshape ourselves and our community into the sustainable creative prosperous place we call home.
As we align our thoughts with our hearts we will create our future the way we see it. Sending our thoughts out into the electromagnetic field will manifest our dreams. “As we create together, We rise together” Lia Strell

Legendary Biru

If you have an imagination, anything may occur. Take a look at this Sapporo Beer commercial. It sets a new standard!

Pooktre

In 1986 Peter had the idea of growing a chair. Nine years later Peter and Becky became partners. Pooktre was born. Together they have mastered the art of Tree shaping. Pooktre has perfected a Gradual shaping method, which is the shaping of trees as they grow along predetermined designs. Designing and setting up the supporting framework are fundamental to the success of a tree. Some are intended for harvest to be high quality indoor furniture and others will remain living art.

For more information pooktre.com

‘Golden Torsion’ Over Vista

This month Bryan Morse and his artisans at Expanding Horizons created a new pond in what is to be the Ceremonial Garden at Alta Vista Botanical Gardens in Vista, CA. Of note is that this pond is also graced by a stunning sculpture named ‘Golden Torsion’ which was created by the very talented Southern California sculptor, Lia Strell.

In advance of Thankgiving the pond was filled with water and the crew worked to install the landscaping on the ponds’ edge.

'Golden Torsion' graces new pond at A.V.G.