For the Love of Apples — and Design
One morning last week, I spent some time weeding and conversing with Tim Makepeace, the volunteer orchardist who cares for the heritage apple orchard at Pierce Mills in Rock Creek Park. He shared his passion for the natural world, his partnership with natural resources, and how to view apple trees as living sculptures.
I had been reluctant to prune the fruit trees in my yard, afraid of wounding a living creature. But apple and fruit trees need shaping and care to stay healthy and viable. Pruning improves air circulation, reduces disease, and boosts their fruit production, health, and longevity.
“Look at the tree, recognize its inherent structure, and envision its growth potential,” Tim taught me as he demonstrated.
Apple tree care reminded me of design:
Understand the existing framework.
Identify the end goal.
Work within given limitations to push creative possibilities.
Everything branches from there.
The difference between my garden and graphic design is time. My work in the studio is immediate, but when I work in my yard, time slows down:
There is no purpose in rushing.
I am in the moment, engaging all the senses, taking one literal step at a time.
A moving meditation.
Clothes pin with wire-wrapped rocks to weigh down and guide pear branches in their growth.
I’m excited for spring, and at the same time, I am humbled by the lessons of nature. Perhaps Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best. “Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”
Found metal disc used as weight for pear branch.
