DATABASES OF PLACE & TASTE: Significant species, cultivated plants & observed organisms.

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.

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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

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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

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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

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