Community Happenings: Berkshire Botanical Garden Potting Sheds & The Harvest Festival

Last May, Clark & Green Architects teamed up with Allegrone to create their version of the potting shed for an event at the Berkshire Botanical Gardens. The Berkshire Botanical Gardens invited six architects to reinterpret the Potting Shed in a creative way. The project created by the team was named: The 9 Square Gardening Environment and Potting Shed. The two firms have worked together on numerous projects throughout Berkshire County and were excited for the collaboration.

Clark & Green’s Scott Henderson with Allegrone Construction’s Joe Lewis. Photo credit: Rural Intelligence

Here is the conceptual description of the 9 Square Gardening Environment and Potting Shed:

Art traditionally fills a frame. The potting shed matrix constructed of 9’ cubes created a three dimensional frame within which the gardener’s palette - plant materials, objects, spaces and functions – can be arranged. The center of the nine square grid is the functional space - a.k.a. “The Potting Shed.” The individual gardener uses the frame as an organizing element with infinite possibilities.

The assembled frame is a matrix of 9’ cubes and is intended to exhibit specific possibilities and variations. Sliding panels enclose the center potting area or optionally provide partial enclosure of adjacent spaces. Stainless steel cable runs vertically between upper and lower grid members creating a support for vine growth. Cold frames provide convenient protection for propagating seedlings and define a path to the lower deck. Work table and walls respect the 9’ dimensional basis subdivided into 3’ x 3’ squares.

This project was just one of many community oriented events held at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. The Berkshire Botanical Garden is a not-for-profit, membership-supported educational organization encompassing 15 acres of cultivated land at the intersection of Routes 102 and 183 in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. This weekend, October 5-6th, they are holding their 79th Annual Harvest Festival. The festival is a fun way to celebrate the beautiful Berkshire Autumn with food and fun activities for the whole family. While you're there, be sure to check out the Potting Sheds!