Introductory Assignment: Observing Garden Design: My Inspiration
For this assignment, submit photos of 3-5 (or more!) home gardens that appeal to you.
Ideally these are photos you take yourself, either inspiration from your local
area or from travels. You can also select photos you find in magazines or
online. Instagram and Pinterest are rich sources for garden inspiration!
In addition to the images, please write two to three paragraphs about what you are thinking about in these pictures: why you took or chose them, what aspects you are drawn to, how they make you feel – inspired, intimidated, welcome, happy, nostalgic? You may submit these paragraphs in the 'online text' section of this assignment, or upload a separate pdf or Word doc file.
Our goal is to encourage you to begin thinking about what may have been, up until now, a subconscious feeling about a place: you have a feeling about it, perhaps without ever considering the “why’s and how’s” of this feeling prior to this course. We want to help you identify and surface those feelings. It will further you in your desire to make your garden design thoughts more concrete.
Some students like using Canva for their designs and organizing photos into an Inspiration Board. Feel free to use any digital method to present your photos. Have fun with it!
Learning to observe and understand the surrounding settings will help you understand your own gardening style. If you like, you can circle particular elements that appeal to you in these garden photos.
If you are using hard copy photos, please scan them and upload them. If they are in a digital form, just upload those. Continue to collect images of gardens that inspire you in a folder that you can refer to later. These photos will be of great use to you as you develop plans for your own space.