A gardener has been tending to this garden for a long time. When he first arrived, the garden was chaotic—some plants grew wildly around each other, their roots intertwining, competing for nutrients, sometimes suffocating one another. He observed them carefully, recording their patterns in an attempt to understand their silent language.
Over time, he realized something: not all plants grow the same way. Some bloom quietly, while others wrap around each other too tightly, strangling everything in their path.
Though he does not impose his presence, he eventually discovers the most widespread flower in his garden. It starts as a small bud and slowly spreads.
As the gardener continues walking, he notices a small flower blooming quietly. It has no scent, and no bees hover near it. Yet, despite the wind, the flower does not sway. It simply stands there, silent and unmoving.
The gardener continues on and finds a mass of vines tightly wrapped around the other plants. At first, they were soft and fragile, but over time, they have coiled tighter and tighter.
Further along the path, the gardener discovers a flower of intense color. It blooms fiercely but vanishes just as quickly, making it nearly impossible to capture its moment of beauty.
As the gardener observes the life cycles of his plants—their growth, decay, and the ways they interact—he begins to understand: dialogue does not exist for perfect understanding.
Not all plants bloom the same way. Some thrive in isolation; others can only exist intertwined. Some wither despite care, while others flourish even when neglected.
He makes mistakes—giving too much water, too little sunlight, planting incompatible species together. Some plants resist his efforts entirely, choosing to grow in their own way.
But slowly, he realizes: mistakes are part of the process. There is no gardening without trial and error. What matters is not avoiding mistakes, but learning and adapting from them.
He will never fully understand every plant. He will never create a perfect garden.
But even so, this garden is alive—constantly changing, expanding, evolving.
And as he embraces the unknown, he walks forward once more, down the garden path.
***
This piece is a contribution to the digital zine “Imaginary Gardens”, produced by the 1st-year Contextual Design masters students at Design Academy Eindhoven, May 2025
