The rational landscape in the Garden of Eden: deriving a complex ecological aesthetic from the tastes and interpretations of New Zealand's farmed landscapes

Abstract

Landscapes are representations of a range of possible ways of life, at the same time people may interpret landscapes in a variety of ways, ascribing different meanings to the same landscape and expressing these through landscape tastes. Such a tension between multiple meanings is apparent in the paradox of New Zealand's organic farming landscape. While the avoidance of herbicides is environmentally friendly, the resulting appearance does not conform to the New Zealand tradition of a tidy, cultivated landscape which reflects the legacy of a hardworking settler mentality. Organic farming landscapes are therefore sometimes interpreted to represent negative values such as laziness and neglect rather than a positively-viewed clean environment. My study explores these links between farmers' landscape tastes and associated values through in-depth interviews with conventional and organic farmers. This research into landscape tastes enabled the illumination of the significance of landscape form as a cultural value. The arguments for this study are manifold: landscape architects engage in enhancing and creating environments for communities; it is therefore of value for us to adopt a broad social understanding and explore the meanings of landscape-forms to a community. In addition, the value of conducting a social science case study of landscape tastes is that it allows direct engagement with people and the understanding of aesthetic values from the "grass roots". The final discussion focuses on how an understanding of New Zealand's farming culture values can become an inspiration for landscape architects to critically evaluate design clichés, and create a complex ecological aesthetic design language that is culturally sustainable.