When beginning your journey as a landscape designer, the most important skill you can nurture is your ability to truly observe the natural world. The Latin word colere—meaning both "to till" and "to cherish"—beautifully expresses this process. Like tending soil, sharpening your powers of observation takes effort, presence, and care. But through this mindful attention, a deeper appreciation for Nature and her wonders begins to bloom. I first experienced this awakening as a young landscape architecture student at the University of Hawaii, where the landscape itself became my greatest teacher.
The Latin word for ‘cultivate’, colere, means both ‘to till’ and ‘to cherish’ which captures exactly how your awareness of the natural world develops.
I was handed an unusual assignment: to spend 24 full hours in an outdoor spot of my choice—no distractions, no extra long breaks, just me and the natural world. The task? To observe everything. Weather patterns, shifting light, passing animals, rustling leaves, distant sounds, the lay of the land—nothing was too small to note. I pitched a tent, set up a simple table and chair, and brought enough water to see me through. Though I wandered off briefly now and then, I always returned, drawn back by the quiet pull of the place and the unfolding story of a single day outdoors.
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