On vacant lands compaction occurs from where site traffic was, I think Belmayne is built seven years ago now. 2007? The images above show rubble, concrete and emerging vegetation, bullrush has colonized the waterlogged areas. It goes to show, pond liner isn’t always needed. this puddle turns into quite a large pond when rainy season hits in Ireland. It has been very dry this summer. The thing is a messy landscape is so full of life. Can we see the inherent beauty in this? I think we do, otherwise why would our national parks get so many visitors?
One of my all-time favorite quotes is from the Landscape Architect who brought us the Red Ribbon Park, Kongjian Yu “Help nature recover and let nature do the work”
This site demonstrates nature doing the work neatly and also I’m happy to say, unpredictably. It is said that Irish land left to its own devices returns to woodland. This is not happening in any nice straight line here on the Belmayne, Priory Hall site. The matrix of habitats are grassland, pockets of wetland, Mature hedgerow, near the edges of these hedgerows the ground is colonizing with young trees. There are areas which are scrubby Willow clusters where within those clusters the light is dappled and green. Its all so fragile. So temporary.