Early in 2025 we were asked to participate in the Wild, Untamed and Spontaneous at La Casa Encendida in Madrid, curated by Paisanaje (a collective based in Madrid that combines curatorial work with artistic practice, and aims to address the growing ecosocial crises facing the world today).
Paisanaje have been invited to curate the part of the exhibition that will focus and reflect on “weeds” and on their potential from different perspectives. In this edition, they have proposed a study of contemporary artistic and landscape practices which imagine community gardens as spaces for learning, experimentation and cohabitation with other spaces.
This was a great moment to take stock of our own garden practice at Amstel Park (with Zone2Source) and reflect on our activities and what organisms are present. Three questions Paisanaje asked us were:
A. A SIGNIFICANT SPECIES: We’d love for you to tell us about a plant in the garden that you find characteristic or emotionally significant.
B. CULTIVATED PLANTS: What plants have you cultivated in your garden?
C. OBSERVED ORGANISMS: What organism have you observed in your garden?
—
Luckily we are currently co-developing a biodiversity accounting tool with NiceTrails as part of a MUSAE project, and we have had a chance to put that into action with two recent workshops called “Agroecology Accounting in the Garden (AAG)”.
One workshop was held for the BioArt meet-up Group from HKU led by Martijn van Gessel and the other was for the Green Office VU sustainability platform at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Here are responses to the curators questions. The third list is from the Biodiversity Accounting that the workshop participants have been helping with.
A. A SIGNIFICANT PLANT:
We recently planted a sea buckthorn (Hippophae rham) as part of our foray into edible perennial species. This is not a taste I grew up with, and was first introduced to it while we were collaborating with the scientist Dr. Wendy Russel in Scotland a decade ago. Now, whenever I taste this unique berry it brings me back to a moment not so long ago when the delight and pleasure of agricultural biodiversity started to resonate at a sensual and not only intellectual level.
IMAGE: Food Phreaking Issue 01
B. CULTIVATED PLANTS:
- Bay Laurel, Laurier, Laurus nobilis
- Blackcurrant (Ben Sarek), Zwarte bes, Ribes nigrum x Ben Sarek
- Blackcurrant (Titania), Zwarte bes, Ribes nigrum x Titania
- Blueberry, Blauwe bes, Vaccinium corymbosum
- Blueberry (Pink Lemonade), Blauwe bes, Vaccinium
- Cornelian Cherry (Dublany), Gele kornoelje, Cornus mas
- Cornelian Cherry (Szafer), Gele kornoelje, Cornus mas
- Creeping Saltbush, Strandbiet, Atriplex halimus
- Cucumber Shrub, Blauwe worstboom, Decaisnea fargesii
- Daylily, Daglelie, Hemerocallis
- Dune Thorn (Leikora), Duindoorn, Hippophae rham
- Dune Thorn (Pollmix 2), Duindoorn, Hippophae rham
- Elderberry, Vlier, Sambucus nigra
- Eternal Cabbage, Eeuwige kool, Brassica oleracea var. acephala
- Fig (Brown Turkey), Vijg, Ficus carica
- Golden Raspberry, Gele framboos, Rubus idaeus
- Hazel (Cosford), Hazelaar, Corylus avellana
- Hazel (Red Zellernut), Rode hazelaar, Corylus
- Honeysalt Bush, Zeevenkel, Crithmum maritimum
- Hosta (Elegans), Hosta, Hosta sieboldiana
- Hosta (First Frost), Hosta, Hosta
- Japanese Ginger, Japanse gember, Zingiber mioga
- Japanese Quince (Cido), Japanse kwee, Chaenomeles japonica
- Jostaberry, Jostabes, Ribes nidigrolaria
- Kiwi Berry (Ken’s Red), Kiwibes, Actinidia arguta
- Kiwi Berry (Weiki), Kiwibes, Actinidia arguta
- Lemon Balm, Citroenmelisse, Melissa officinalis
- Lemon Mint, Citroenmunt, Mentha x piperita f. citrata
- Mint (Apple Mint), Appelmunt, Mentha x rotundifolia
- Mint (Moroccan Mint), Marokkaanse munt, Mentha spicata var. crispa ‘Moroccan’
- Mint (Peppermint), Pepermunt, Mentha ×piperita
- Mint (Strawberry Mint), Aardbeimunt, Mentha arvensis ‘Strawberry’
- Medlar, Mispel, Mespilus germanica
- Mulberry (Illinois Everbearing), Moerbei, Morus alba x rubra f. Illinois Everbearing
- Olive Willow (Amber), Olijfwilg, Elaeagnus umbellata
- Olive Willow (Sweet ‘n Tart), Olijfwilg, Elaeagnus umbellata
- Pineapple Sage, Ananassalie, Salvia rutilans
- Red Sage (Hot Lips), Rode salie, Salvia microphylla
- Rue, Wijnruit, Artemisia abrotanum
- Salt Cabbage (Jacob’s Blue), Zeekool, Crambe maritima ‘Jacobs Blue’
- Seaberry / Sea Buckthorn, Duindoorn, Hippophae rham
- True Sage (Blue Sage), Blauwe salie, Salvia officinalis
- Valse Chistusdoorn (Honey Locust), Valse Christusdoorn, Gleditsia triacanthos inermis
- Walnut (Common Walnut), Walnoot, Prunus dulcis
- Wayfaring Tree, Wollige sneeuwbal, Toona sinensis
C. OBSERVED ORGANISMS:
- Alder, Els, Alnus
- Blueberry, Blauwe bes, Vaccinium corymbosum
- Bryophyte, Bladmossen, Bryophyta
- Common Hazel, Hazelaar, Corylus avellana
- Common Nettle, Grote brandnetel, Urtica dioica
- Common Oak, Zomereik, Quercus sp.
- Common Yew, Gewone taxus, Taxus baccata
- Dandelion, Paardenbloem, Taraxacum officinale
- Didymo, Rotslijm, Didymosphenia geminata
- Diplopod (Millipede), Miljoenpoot, Diplopoda
- Ephemeroptera Nymph, Eendagsvlieg nimf, Ephemeroptera nymph
- False Nettle, Valse brandnetel, Boehmeria cylindrica
- Field Pansy, Veldviooltje, Viola arvensis
- Firebug Beetle, Vuurwants, Pyrrhocoris apterus
- Garlic Mustard, Look-zonder-look, Alliaria petiolata
- Gold Dust Lichen, Goudstofkorst, Chrysothrix chlorina
- Golden Shield Lichen, Goudschildkorst, Xanthoria parietina
- Goosegrass, Kleefkruid, Galium aparine
- Ground Ivy, Hondsdraf, Glechoma hederacea
- Groundcover Strawberry, Wilde aardbei, Fragaria
- Groundsel, Klein kruiskruid, Senecio vulgaris
- Herb Bennet, Geel nagelkruid, Geum urbanum
- Holly, Hulst, Ilex aquifolium
- Lawn Grass, Gazon gras, Poaceae
- Lichen (Flavoparmelia caperata), Geelgroene korstmos, Flavoparmelia caperata
- Lichen (Golden Shield Lichen), Goudschildkorst, Xanthoria parietina
- Lichen (Hypogymnia physodes), Blaaskorstmos, Hypogymnia physodes
- Lichen (Unidentified), Korstmos, Lichen sp.
- Lichen (Xanthoria sp.), Gele korstmos, Xanthoria sp.
- Marsh Pennywort, Waternavel, Hydrocotyle umbellata
- Mayfly Nymph, Eendagsvlieg nimf, Ephemeroptera nymph
- Moss (Bryophyta), Mos, Bryophyta
- Orange Algae (Trentepohlia aurea), Oranje alg, Trentepohlia aurea
- Patella Limpet, Gewone lympet, Patella vulgata
- Peacock Spider, Pauwspin, Maratus
- Pirate Spider (Pisaurina mira), Piratenspin, Pisaurina mira
- Planktonic Algae, Planktonalgen, Chlorophyta
- Ranunculus, Speenkruid, Ranunculus ficaria
- Red Slime Mold, Rode slijmzwam, Fuligo septica
- Rove Beetle (Paederus spp.), Oeverkruiper, Paederus spp.
- Seven-Spotted Lady Beetle, Aziatische lieveheersbeestje, Harmonia axyridis
- Strawberry, Aardbei, Fragaria
- Terrestrial Earthworm, Regenworm, Lumbricus terrestris
- Veronica Speedwell, Veldereprijs, Veronica persica
- Wood Cricket, Boskrekel, Gryllidae
- Wood Formica Ants, Houtmier, Formica spp.
- Wolf Spider, Wolfspin, Lycosidae