Tour of the Children's Garden
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I am inspired by the
memory of my two-year-old son who left us August 17th, 2000. I believe
in my heart that
we will be together again. Until that day I will forever be inspired by
the memories of his laughter and joy. The Alexander Cook Bowen Children’s
Garden is a project built on love. My hope is that this space will be a
joyous playground, a healing experience and an enlightenment into the world
of handicapped persons.
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The site is a donation from Kanapaha
Botanical Gardens and will compliment the construction of their $1.4 million
dollar Summerhouse project scheduled to open in November 2001.
The approach is through the Joe I. Herbtsman Rose Garden, constructed two
years ago. The rose garden has the largest collection of Antique and Old
World roses in the state. The sidewalk winds through the rose garden under
the branches of a large Live Oak and on to the children’s garden.
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The entrance is through an arbor made of soldered copper pipe. The entrance
kiosk greets the visitor with a colorful display both written and in Braille.
The explanation begins to give one the feel for the gardens, there are
patterns on the walkways, which give direction, indicate seating, and
show you where to touch, smell or pick the plants.
The texture maze is an open plaza where you are directed by the patterns
of textures on the floor. Vectors that widen and contract guide you to
seating areas and other paths of the maze. This will be a great space
for kids and adults to dawn a blind fold and use their sense of touch
to negotiate the maze.
The fragrance maze is a stone maze where the paths, seating areas, obstacles
and exits are designated with fragrant plants. Different fragrances indicate
which way to go where to be cautious and where to sit and enjoy the aromas.
The floor is a group of tile mosaics starting with a rainbow then clouds,
rain and the sun. Children are quick to learn that the sun shining through
the rain creates the rainbow. After the sun are the planets in the solar
system starting with Mercury and afterPluto is the Nebulas. Distance from
each other and size of planets are all to scale.
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The hedge maze is extensive and
somewhat complex. Definitely a challenge but rewarding in discovery and
accomplishment. The paths are all a minimum of four feet wide and have
directions
textured into the paving. I believe wheel chairs should be available to
allow children the opportunity to have fun rolling to negotiate this tricky
maze. Once again allowing children of all ages’ insight into the world
of living with a handicap.
The “Please Pick A Flower Garden” is a space emulating the earth
and outer space. The dark blue paving surface surrounds the depiction of
our earth. The earth is ablaze with colorful perennial flowers depicting
the continents. The perimeter of the globe is the message of peace inscribed
in the floor. Three raised planters holding perennial flowers for those
in wheel chairs to pick. Cut outs of stars in the floor are planted generously
with yellow perennial flowers. All the perennials are rotated out to a
holding
area to recuperate keeping the blooms constant.
The “Dynamic Garden” is our water garden where a trough and pool
use their currents to keep sculptures moving. An area for touching plants
contains touch-me-nots and other plants which move, pop seeds or close
up
at the touch of a finger. Wind chimes oriented to give instructions will
be used as cues for the sight impaired.
The garden feels safe and comfortable for the children and the parents.
Shade areas, bench seating and a cool zone keep the climate comfortable.
A barrier and snake wall encompass the entire children’s garden giving
parents a chance to relax while letting their children play. Most structures
within the garden are kept low. The hedge maze is an average height of
three
feet and the misty mountains average four feet. A child can be seen from
almost anywhere in the garden.
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Along the main path are musical
notes which along with the scale lines act as seats and planters. The center
of each musical note is stretched canvas acting like a drum. Kids will
enjoy
the notes and a sign will tell them that this bar of music is the chorus
from “We Are the World”. The musical notes at the north end of
the garden will create a bar from a John Lennon song “Give Peace A
Chance”. Some musical notes are seats and the paving surface indicates
this with a textured circle. A kiosk can play part of each song at the
push
of a button.
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The Dig Area is a circle of raised sand digging
pits to be stocked with artifacts, fossils, and other fun treasures for
the children to find and KEEP. The Raised digging pits are concrete culvert
pipe five feet in diameter. These culverts stand thirty inches high to allow
access for wheel chair bound patrons. The culvert pipes will each adorn
a different mural sequence telling a story for someone to discover. Different
arbors create shade patterns, signals of what might be found while providing
a cooling arena for hunting treasure.
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The “Misty Mountains” are
gently rolling mounds of earth cradling a dragon statue. The area is a
cool
zone with irrigation mist emitters creating a fog, fog streams from the
nostrils of the dragon. The kids can climb and roll up the center ramp
of
the dragon or just run, roll, stroll and play over the misty mounds.
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The “Mirror Garden” at
the north end of the project comes equipped with fun house type full-length
concave and convex mirrors facing to the north. The mirrors are two way
mirrors for people on the other side to have fun watching kids making funny
poses. Mirror and tile mosaics on freestanding walls facing south glitter
in the sunlight.
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| The Jack in the Beanstalk tree house
will be located twenty feet northwest of the children’s garden. Made
of stainless steel post construction the footprint is small while maintaining
strength. An old-fashioned caged, hydraulic elevator locks passengers in
for the ride up. This tree house will get wheelchair bound children forty
feet above the children’s garden for a spectacular view. Leaves like
a beanstalk will start fifteen feet from the ground making this structure
virtually impossible to climb. There are only a handful of handicapped
tree
houses in the United States creating a very unique opportunity.
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