Biomimicry for Designers: The Gardner of the World

Great is the sun, and wide he goes

Through heaven with repose;
And in the blue and glowing days
More thick than rain he showers his rays.

Meantime his golden face around
He bares to all the garden ground,
And sheds a warm and glittering look
Among the flowers inmost nook.

(modified from "Summer Sun" by Robert Louis Stevenson)

75 and S U N N Y on this twenty-seventh day of April. I cannot believe it is the fifth week of observations and the last week of class. As I look back, I see how I have grown to become more passionate about all nature has to offer. I have always been intrigued and looked closely at the surface of nature (and organisms) but today I find myself wanting to know “how it works” (referring to nature)! I utilize AskNature everyday and am extremely interested in biology!

This observation assignment has taught me to relax a bit, enjoy soaking everything in, and also the value of reflection. Everyone needs that time in his or her day/week to just relax. And... what a better way to due so then in nature...God’s beautiful creation!

It is so amazing to me to see how self-sustaining nature really is! Everything is for a purpose, the beautiful cycles and networks implemented in nature are amazing to me. It is really a pleasure to learn the sustainable principles directly from nature and from this I see how my designs and teachings have become that much more sustainable.

These past Wednesday mornings have been an wonderful time of reflection. I feel that in order to learn from nature, one must constantly be in nature. But also believe that the more people learn from nature’s mentors, the more they’ll want to protect them!

Five weeks ago on that Wednesday morning, when I first started my nature observation it was windy but beautiful. As the weeks passed, the seasons have certianly changed. We are now encroaching summer. The temperatures have warmed, the winds died down, and the flowers are blooming. The colors are more vibrant and the landscape is thicker and fuller than ever.

Below I have showcased a variety of blooms I photographed on my way to my observation location today. I thought it would be fun to paint my interpretation of the flowers along side to capture their mood. Sooooo, I leave you with these ...