PLANT ADVOCACY & PLANET GUARDIANS

Landscape planning and stewardship in Sustainability perspective

1 Background

During the MLA1 period, I was working in the studio of the GWG, in Edinburgh, where Granton Castle stood on a rocky outcrop above the coast in 1479. The garden later survived the disaster and was bought by the local market gardener to supply local produce. Nowadays, the Castle Garden is managed by local volunteers.

Based on the unique history and its functions today, I have tried to strengthen the position of non-humans in this project. The damage and disasters that the gardens have suffered are disturbing, while the involvement of humans and non-humans brings vitality and counter. I have created a 'LIVE GARDEN', a living, dynamic place where they have a stage, growing with freedom.

These are three performance spaces in the garden, with performers such as the old castle, the plants, butterflies and birds. These performances can be played without an audience, and the plants and animals do not need to please humans. Fairness and freedom are the central spirits of the garden.

I used to think that landscapes were to serve humans, so I reflected more from the human perspective on plantings, such as ornamental features. Owing to the GWG project, I have developed an advanced understanding of the relationship between humans and nonhumans in landscape architecture. In the KGVD project, I have stuck to the idea that humans and non-humans are equal. I consider the plants themselves in terms of whether it is a suitable place for them to grow, whether they can fulfil their ecological value and what species they will attract.

In Environmental Ethics, the debate about Anthropocentrism and NonAnthropocentrism has always existed. The general meaning of Anthropocentrism is the belief that only humans are worthy of ethical consideration while other things are merely means to ends for humans (Callicott 2006).

Anthropocentrism

Anthropocentrism as an ideology that grants humans the privilege of being superior to nature is egoistic. In modern social contexts, most theorists are in opposition to this theory. They argue that Anthropocentrism is selfish and cruel to non-humans, revealing the unsustainability of the social environment and the unethical treatment of non-humans (Kopnina et al, 2018). However, there are also supporters of this view. Norton's (1984) convergence theory, which argues that the needs of humans and the environment are aligned and that maintaining the environment for the material benefit of humans is the most powerful motivation to protect nature, coincides with the egoistic standpoint on environmental protection. Hayward, on the other hand, argues that humans can start by caring for themselves before caring for other creatures. The ability of humans to live in peace with themselves and love themselves more will have a positive impact on other species (Hayward, 1997).

I suppose that humans are ultimately dependent on nature and Anthropocentrism

41 Abandoning Anthropocentrism Drawing, Xueyan Li, 2022 will always drive people to pursue 'humandominated' construction projects, causing damage to the ecological environment. Ecocentrism should be advocated in the future, respecting life and proposing equity in life.

Some landscape architects advocate projects that prioritise human preferences. In my opinion, we as landscape architects have a mission to spread a 'respect for nature' stance in society, and landscaping is our tool and medium.

2 The interweaving of plants and ruins

The left photograph was taken at the Govan Graving Docks, a site that has been left neglected for years. Photos at the right are plants with ruins details. The plants on the ruins grow wildly and evolve on their own, forming a stable and interesting ecosystem. The plants possess a more wild and unrestrained beauty than the well-tended plants in parks.

In the post-industrial field, the modern ruins are stable and decay at a pretty slow rate, while the plants are dynamic, changing all year round, every day and night, and their combination is a fantastic collision.

Plant communities that emerge naturally in abandoned post-industrial areas evolve in unusual settings, resulting in distinct community assemblages. Cities are dynamic systems, properties may become abandoned over time and then colonised by plants with little or no human intervention (Del Tredici, 2010). Vacant property may have the potential to develop green spaces that sustain biodiversity and ecosystem functions in some circumstances (Robinson and Lundholm, 2012; Bonthoux et al., 2014). The Govan Graving Docks is an excellent example. It has been in an unmanaged and unmaintained status for decades. People would probably be surprised at the tolerance of the life on it, that not only survived but even flourished in infrastructures of human disturbance.

When people face modern ruins, they are confronted with a layer of chaos, where history and modernity, stability and change are interwoven. Some argue that plants on the ruins should be cleared away because they contain many extremely vigorous weeds that tend to interfere with the introduction of other new species. I suppose that we need to be critical of these wild natures. These weeds are two-sided that can be positive or negative. They can function as resources for humans, or they will hinder the use of the resources, or both attributes co-exist (Bubandt and Tsing, 2018). As landscape architects, it is meaningful to research dynamic landscapes and make decisions about retention, removal and introduction through field surveys to sort out the confusing and overlapping site layers.

As shown in the drawing below, for the KGVD project, I have chosen to retain most of the woodland vegetation. At the same time, removal and introduction were made to vitalise the forest and increase biodiversity.

44 Plants with ruins in King George V Docks

Photography, Xueyan Li, Landscape Architecture Design Exploration Part 2, 2022

45 Plant transformation in woodland in King George V Docks

Photography, Xueyan Li, Landscape Architecture Design Exploration Part 2, 2022

In recent years, special attention has been paid to the conservation of endangered animals while neglecting the fact that plants are also facing a similar crisis.

The world is facing a biodiversity crisis. Biodiversity can usually be interpreted as a multitude of plants, animals and microscopic organisms. The contribution of plants to the ecological environment is enormous. They absorb carbon dioxide, regulate the climate, conserve water and soil, reduce noise, and continue to benefit both humans and nature, so it is urgent to protect plant species.

The UN Sustainable Development Goal 15 (Goal 15 Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2021) is Life on land. It said ‘Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.' It represents a further increase in human awareness of ecological conservation and enhancement of species. Pollinators provide immense benefits to nature and humans. The introduction of pollinators is a method of increasing ecological connectivity in the landscape.

For the KGVD project, the overall principle of planting is to select native species as far as possible, prioritising ecological value over aesthetic value. Non-native ornamental plants have become popular in suburban settings in recent years, and they are not identified as a danger to biodiversity because they are mostly ornamentals with no invasive characteristics. However, native plants are more beneficial to biodiversity.

The collage on the right illustrates the biodiversity crisis. We are facing global warming as the planet is like melting ice cream. If we do nothing, both plants and animals will be on the verge of decline and extinction.

In the KGVD project, I created multidimensional connections to the surrounding urban fabrics, the most prominent of which is the ecological connection.

I took advantage of the ecological resources of the surrounding Victoria Park and Cardonald Park by connecting them to the site to enhance the species.

Victoria Park is rich in bees on the opposite bank of River Clyde, so I proposed an invisible corridor for pollinators and created a garden as a crucial point of connection. I proposed a green corridor between Cardonald Park and the site to allow for the communication of species with the woodland. At the same time, I identified existing species and protected them to the fullest and introduced new species that get on well together.

Some landscape architects select plants because they are beautiful. From my perspective, a significant point of landscape design is planning on a broad scale, especially at the ecological layer, rather than partial beauty and delicacy, so the selection of plants should be considered more comprehensively.

47 Multi-dimentional connections

Drawing, Xueyan Li, Landscape Architecture Design Exploration Part 2, 2022

48 Garden detailed plan

Drawing, Xueyan Li, Landscape Architecture Design Exploration Part 2, 2022

49 Ecological connection diagram

Drawing, Xueyan Li, Landscape Architecture Design Exploration Part 2, 2022