Laurel-Brook Gardens
Belleville, PA
"A Drop in the Ocean"
Designer Joe Stitt was inspired by the fact that water is always moving, always seeking a way back to the ocean and that we all share the same water as it travels around the globe in liquid, vapor, or precipitation.
His design reflects an old world idea that the four corners of the world each have a different type of environment. (LAURA ADDS: Front left=alpine; front right=temperate; rear left=tropical; rear right=desert)
He began to develop the concept last summer and has been collecting plants continuously.
His plant choices have been guided both by aesthetic appeal and by the species one would find in each environment.
Laurel-Brook partnered with Clearwater Ponds and Aquatics to crate the complex layout and mechanics of the moving water and pond.
Visitors should take time to discover the many small details throughout the design.
Exhibitor Description:
"With every drop of water you drink, every breath you take. You're connected to the sea, no matter where on earth you live." – Sylvia Earle, American Marine Biologist
Water is the element that physically connects all living things no matter their origin. We should not take it for granted but admire its beauty, its song and its unrestrained power: ceaselessly recreating itself through evaporation and precipitation, soaking and filtering through the soils – sometimes slowly, sometimes violently – but steadfast in its quest to return to the ocean.