Holyoke Medical Center Planting

I recently completed a planting plan and set of renderings for Stephen A. Roberts, a local landscape architect . The proposed site is next to Holyoke Medical Center’s main entrance.

The planting is composed of a large component of medicinal plants. While these plants may not be used for medicine themselves, (I would not recommend most commercially grown plants for consumption that have not intentionally been cultivated for medicinal use) their presence in the garden so close to the hospital may inspire people to explore herbal medicine as a base line for health and healing. Among the plants included in this proposal are: red root –  for cleaning the lymphatic system, echinacea and baptisia – for stimulating the immune system response, anise hyssop – for lowering fevers, and catmint – helpful for calming headaches. These plants are beautiful and hardy and in combination with each other create compelling textures and forms that out of the “bloom season” are interesting to explore and look at.

I have always loved plants, and learning about their healing properties adds a richer dimension to that fascination I have. Where before I saw them as engaging pieces in a landscape, I am beginning to see how they support landscapes and us through their part in ecosystem dynamics across scales, from our guts to watersheds.