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As my pen touches paper, I am sitting waiting for the Fogo Island ferry on an overcast morning. It's 13°C in Little Seldom, Newfoundland. I have been working here at Fogo Island Inn – what a pleasure and a challenge on this coastal barren landscape. My work continues to be diverse with various scaled gardens, healing gardens and landscapes from traditional settings to the almost lunar landscape of "the Rock". Pictured above is one of our latest collaborations with Cleveland architect, William Childs photographed by Richard Mandelkorn in June. To all our projects, clients, contractors and friends in all places, I wish you many long summer evenings of re-creation and relaxation.
Happy summer, all the best.
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Wabi Sabi: Of Essence and Poetry
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Virginia Burt was recently published in the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects magazine  Landscape Paysages (Summer 2017 Edition: Vol.19 No.2 Pg.17). The article entitled Wabi Sabi: Of Essence and Poetry reveals how Virginia was inspired during her trip to Japan last summer:
"I began to feel a particular joy in wabi-sabi, the Japanese name for a beauty that is elusive and impermanent" Virginia.
Pictured above is a recently completed VBD project in Chebucto Head, NS. Please read the complete article online, click here.
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Cornelia Hahn Oberlander Birthday Luncheon
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Often times persistence and patience are required to make a particular photograph. Internationally  acclaimed photographer Richard Mandelkorn captures many VBD project images. During a recent photo shoot in Cleveland, a confluence of events resulted in Richard capturing a number of magnificent contextual views of the award winning Fowler rooftop garden atop the lovely circa 1922 building designed by Alfred Harris, Sr. From the owner Char Fowler making a call to friend, Susan, to the perfect timing of the appearance of surrounding neighbours; from the ideal time and quality of light on the building to the many folks (Paul, Ruben, & Carol) who generously guided us to just the right vantage point for these amazing shots - thank you to the myriad of people, named and unnamed, who kindly assisted to get this done.
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ASLA Interviews Virginia Burt for Landscape Architecture Magazine
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The American Society of Landscape Architects recently interviewed Virginia for an upcoming piece in Landscape Architecture Magazine. Katarina Katsma, pictured with Virginia in Norma's Garden, A Place of Healing at The Gathering Place, spent some time talking to Virginia in this beautiful setting for the upcoming article. Thank you to the folks at The Gathering Place for their ongoing commitment to maintaining the garden. Stay tuned for the release date.
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What are Coastal Barrens?
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Coastal barrens occur on the outermost rocky shores, islands and headlands of our coastlines. Along the Atlantic, these three photos, taken approximately 1200 km apart, are examples of one of the tiny yet productive plants that inhabit coastal barrens. These tough plants inhabit cracks, crevices and leeward slopes of outermost rocky ridges where thin acidic soils, punishing winds and salt air abound. Although difficult to establish, once these plants get going they could outlast our human lifetime - provided various natural hazards and human interventions (from footfalls to climate change) are kept in delicate balance. Many of the plants produce prolific berries and have been traditionally used by First Nations people and enjoyed by many folks today. Their taste is acidic and tangy (reflective of the soils and salt environment they grow in) - and perhaps best when mixed with sweet blueberries (also a coastal barrens plant).
Shown Red Crowberry (Empetrum eamesii) and Black Crowberry (Empetrum
nigrum) at Fogo Island, NL and Acadia Point, NS. Plants in rocky crevices are from Chebucto Head, NS - wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) and lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium).
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Speaking Engagements
World Design Summit – Montréal 2017, "Landscapes of Healing: Capturing Transformative Essence". Montreal, Quebec. October 15th – 19th 2017. World Design Summit: 10 days to change the world. Unprecedented international gathering of diverse design disciplines to create a vision of the future shaped by design.
2017 ASLA Annual General Meeting, “Raw Beauty Restored: A Study in Barren Landscape” Co-Presenters Virginia Burt, FASLA, FCSLA and Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, FASLA, FCSLA. Los Angeles, California. Sunday, October 22nd, 2017 at 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM.
2017 ASLA Annual General Meeting, “Transformation in the Landscape: A Healing Pathway for People and Places” Panelist: Virginia Burt, FASLA, FCSLA – Owner & Principal, Virginia Burt Designs, Inc. Los Angeles, California. Sunday, October 22nd, 2017 at 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
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Virginia Burt Designs USA has moved, PLEASE UPDATE YOUR RECORDS:
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Oberlander FCSLA FASLA
