Everything in the Garden Is Mathematical Author(s): Chris Parsons Source: Mathematics in School, Vol. 25, No. 1 (Jan., 1996), pp. 24-25 Published by: The Mathematical Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30215239 . Accessed: 07/04/2014 15:42 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. . The Mathematical Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Mathematics in School. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 81.152.52.202 on Mon, 7 Apr 2014 15:42:40 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Transcript
Everything in the Garden Is MathematicalAuthor(s): Chris ParsonsSource: Mathematics in School, Vol. 25, No. 1 (Jan., 1996), pp. 24-25Published by: The Mathematical AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30215239 .
Accessed: 07/04/2014 15:42
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].
.
The Mathematical Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access toMathematics in School.
http://www.jstor.org
This content downloaded from 81.152.52.202 on Mon, 7 Apr 2014 15:42:40 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
On clear Autumn mornings, when the dew is still on the grass, Shropshire gardener Chris Parsons has been out with his 6ft drag brush creating 'grass designs'. Brushing away the dew allows the dark green of the grass to show through, so that when the sun first shines the effect is
stunning. His photographs shown here were taken from about 13m up a nearby tree in order to obtain an appropriate reflective angle from which he could view each pattern before it disappears. Much of the appeal for him is in its transient quality, like Picasso drawing in the sand as the tide comes in. Most of his creations are seen by no one but himself.
The designs are planned on paper initially, along with the order in which the 'painting' is done. Most of the designs are made by 'free-walking', with the occasional use of string guidelines for the more complex patterns. Many of the designs are geometrical, including square and curved spirals and some reminiscent of MicroSMILE Take- Half patterns, exhibiting reflective and rotational symmetry.
So instead of "Designing a Car Park" - how about "Design a Garden"?
]RB & HM
Chris Parsons' designs were first published in the magazine of the Royal Horticultural Society, The Garden, April 1995.
24 Mathematics in School, January 1996
This content downloaded from 81.152.52.202 on Mon, 7 Apr 2014 15:42:40 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
