Conservation and Pepper Tree Garden

In addition to their conservation work, interns this week visited the site of a new public art project in the city--Pepper Tree Corner. Interns met with Pepper Tree Corner artists Katherine Miller (Professor, Pitzer College) and Andreas Hessing (Landscape Architect) to discuss the site and the future conservation needs of this environmental artwork.

The Pepper Tree Corner/ Booster Pump Station is a landscaped infrastructure facility of the City Water Division. Located in the Midtown community, the pump station functions to pressurize and 'boost' water into the hillside residences. percent for art monies. State law requires that these funds be used for artworks on the site of the construction.

Artist Andreas Hessing explains to interns Layla Windwillows and Bradley Barron how a new entrance to the site will be contructed out of rocks and native California plants. The rocks and plants will help to protect the site from existing soil erosion. Beyond the entrance a new strata landscape will mimick the structure and color of sedimentary cliffs.

Atists Andreas Hessing and Katherin Miller talk to interns about how native plants on the site will help to filter and clean water naturally as well as draw attention to the movement of water through the site. Native plants require significantly less conservation and maintenance than the existing plantings and are drought tolerant.

Artist Katherine Miller talks to intern James Norwood about the abundant water needs of the existing lawn. Replacing the lawn with a native plant species would reduce the amount of water needed to maintain the site over time.

Artists will continue to perform their geological interventions through the site through the summer of 2007. Plantings will be completed in October 2007 when there will be a community planting day open that is open to the public. All are encouraged to attend. To learn more about this project, please visit our website.