Plateau Jardinet | Dona Morta Jardinet

Plateau Jardinet | Dona Morta Jardinet

This Jardinet is located in the Dona Morta Up Garden, facing the road that follows the ridge. A short, steep slope descending approximately 1 meter surrounds the space, creating small plateau. The slope contains boulders and small stones, revealing the shallowness of the bedrock. The stones create a unique condition, supporting lichen and moss. Otherwise, patches of Quercus coccifera within a matrix of grasses (Brachypodium spp.) cover the ground. As indicated by the boulders on the surface, the soil, which is best described as a Morull soil, is shallow with a thin O horizon. Other than the slope, the ground is relatively flat. The sense of prospect and enclosure created by the slope, in combination with the unique vegetation growing in the conditions created by the exposed rocks, makes this a distinct space. A group of ETH Zurich students on a week-long workshop in the garden helped choose the location of the location of the Jardinet and marked the occasion with a celebratory picnic.

Students form the ETH Zurich setting up for a picnic at the Jardinet after marking fences onsite. Photo by Julian Rickenbacher, used under CC 4.0

The wooden fence constructed out of material found onsite follows the base of the slope, enclosing the plateau. Where the fence borders plots where the horses graze, it is planted with drought adapted fruit trees and shrubs that we expect will benefit from the soil improved by the horses.

Fieldnotes recording the location, topography and vegetation of the Jardinet. Chair of Being Alive