Refugia Design
GOLD MEDAL - Landscape
The Inner Landscape
Inspired by 17th century philosopher Blaise Pascal's belief that during difficult times you should always carry something beautiful in
your mind, this immersive exhibit
demonstrates the resilience, joy and hopefulness to be found in all of our gardens. Through a native landscape that is alive with sights and sounds, we feel our innate connection with nature, perceive new growth and truly receive time.
Gleanings from Jill Bonn: How many plants…..always hard to count but at least 100 plants of every variety.
1/2 that # in the ready being tended and cared for to be swapped out in the morning maintenance of the space, so the visitor sees it at its best.
Sound design, one of the five senses you use in a garden, was added to this space. Walk slowly through and you can hear the trees talking through a very large megaphone. Stop and listen when crossing the small bridge into the gazebo covered in live mushrooms. The sound coming up from the bridge are the creatures of the earth.
Walking the bald cypress wood walk, look for the cypress trees from where it came.
Specific plants/florals highlighting in exhibit: Native plants, sustainable materials
What aspect of the theme are you featuring: Therapeutic
Overall concept of exhibit: We are inspired by 17th century philosopher Blaise Pascal who said that during difficult times, you should always carry something beautiful in your mind. The Living Landscape imagines an immersive place of beauty evocative of the resilience, joy and hopefulness to be found in our gardens, recalling us into a mindful mode of solitude, space and silence in which we can feel closer to nature, perceive new growth and truly receive time.
Any other points of interest: The Inner Landscape offers an exhibit that is as alive as you are with sights, sounds and smells to remind us that nature is always happening around us. Integrating native plants, sustainable materials with innovative soundscapes to provoke, inspire and immerse attendees in an experience that is restorative and therapeutic.
About the Exhibitor
Refugia Design is an ecological landscape design/build and stewardship firm, based out of Narberth, PA. Since 2015, Refugia has been offering distinctive native landscape design for both residential and commercial green spaces throughout the Greater Philadelphia Area and Jersey Shore. Annual major exhibitor and award-winners at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Philadelphia Flower Show, Refugia is known for an immersive, naturalistic design aesthetic and meadow expertise at projects ranging in size from city yards to suburban estates.||As a mission-based company, Refugia's ground-breaking initiatives include mapping the impact of their 120+ native habitats via the Ecological Greenway Network, designed to promote connectivity for wildlife and restore ecosystem function to neighborhoods. Refugia added 47 'stepping stone' gardens to the network in 2021, developing an essential ecological corridor for native plants and wildlife that addresses climate crisis, overdevelopment and the loss of biodiversity via habitat that 'put plants to work'; creating beautiful, functional and resilient landscapes for all.