Wow..270 pages. I'll have to try that. Glad you enjoy the thread.. Such great questions. Hope this helps.
Frank Lloyd Wright once said "The physician can bury his mistakes, but the architect can only advise his client to plant vines-" Truer words were never said. The landscape designer saves your bacon many times.
When I was at WDI, Herb Ryman introduced me to Morgan "Bill" Evans, Walt's home landscaper, who became his choice for greening Disneyland. As frequently happens, the landscaping got the short end of the budget but Bill made it work. He was already a legend in the business as his family had a nursery in LA and his father was a second generation horticulturist. I live in LA and many of the unique trees in my neighborhood were brought to the USA by Evan's father. This is important, because frequently theme parks must emulate other parks of the world in both architecture and plant life. It takes someone with global knowledge of what looks right in that part of the world and still grows in the hostile climate where the park is located. Quite a challenge and one that requires lots of knowledge and creativity. Imagineer landscapers also use plant life to "double" for another star species (like in the movies) to give the right overall look. There is a sense of "theater" in what they do, versus the typical rows of material you see in the real world. Much more in the mentality of those "greens" departments that used to be part of the studio system in Hollywood that would dress the sets with potted materials or create jungles on sound stages. Only the Imagineer is doing it in a permanent solution. There used to be an artificial foliage group at WDI that specialized in indoor solutions like the Energy Pavilion or other plastic jungles.
More on Bill Evans and his "three point approach" to landscape design at Disney. Great read.
http://flamingogreen.com/Morgan__Bill__Evans.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_"Bill"_Evans
More on Comstock and DAK.
http://flamingogreen.com/Paul_Comstock.html
When we needed "jungles" in frigid regions of Tokyo, Evans knew of a type of bamboo that would grow in those climes and against all odds created a jungle in a place where it would not normally survive. Now you see why landscape is so important and is such a critical part of not only the story, but the emotional beauty of the parks. It's part of Walt's "doing the impossible". I'm currently working with a protege of Evans, Paul Comstock, who was the key player in DAK. That park not only had to duplicate Africa and Asia, but be a food source for the animals as well. A masterpiece of his craft.
When I was there, we had a lead Landscape designer as an employee with an outside landscape firm hired to be the "architect of record" to coordinate and do the drawings. We call it "Area Development", which is more than plants, it's paths, sidewalks and planters too. Hardscape like "the Hub". Area Development holds the lands together. Each land of DLP had it's lead in AD. Adventureland was pretty intense. We had many talented people working with us who became good friends. Comstock does contract work for WDI today so I think more of it is done on contract, but I'm not sure. They get involved pretty early as well, especially for budget projections and power requirements (it all gets lit too, path lighting). Sometimes you buy specimens early, and grow them offsite to be moved in later.
In Paris, we wanted Main Street to always look alive and beautiful even in the cold gray winters, so I wanted "evergreen" trees with leaves year round that looked like the ones in the other parks. The leaves could not be so dense. or so big that they hid the Castle either. Paul Comstock, the lead in charge found the right species and imported them. Evans was still alive to consult and direct some of this. It was an honor to have known him and understood his approach to landscape. Comstock is in my opinion "the man" today. The Luke Skywalker of his trade and has certainly become a Jedi under Evans.
Landscaping sets the stage and supports the story. You look at it in composition with the rest of the design. It frames the architecture and most importantly, creates those beautiful "transitions" between themed areas we love. The scale, leaf size and texture is something you pay lots of attention to. It softens the buildings. The WDI landscape designer understands how to make the floral color and landscape a show in itself without overpowering the rest, in fact, it lends credibility. Landscaping is life. We primally love it. John Hench talks about the "architecture of reassurance". The grown environment is the proof of that. It thrives and so we do as well. The beauty of creation is so complex and powerful, in combination with man made structures is very pleasing and tells us everything will be ok.
The Liberty Tree, Jungle Cruise, Rivers of America, DAK and frankly the whole property of WDW gets it's awe from the natural beauty of what wasn't built. The magic of Disney World is the coexistence of those things. The setting of the Crystal Palace. the sunsets in the Cypress Trees. A "Paradise" with rides! Coney Island was never that. It was urbanity by the sea. WDW embraces the natural world in a way that does not attempt to dominate it but celebrate it. There is balance. This is why the intrusion of the roads and busses erode the carless dream of WDW to me. The message is being blurred. Great landscape designers designed that message in what they didn't do and how they manicured reality just enough for us to not feel threatened by it. These unsung WDI magicians can do both structured spaces that are formal gardens, or mimic nature with environments that look like they grew naturally for a thousand years. I have great respect for these natural storytellers and their craft as one of great education, most of which is real world experience fueled a creative passion for what can be grown.
Just last week, Paul and I wanted to choose a tree that "gave you something" when you looked at its trunk. He suggested a Spanish Cork tree as it's bark is what they make corks from and is richly textured. It is a beautiful specimen and it's not just a tree it's a worthy conversation when you discover it. It's all about the details. We hear about it in architecture, but
everything matters. Good Landscaping gets better the closer you look, it's just the way the Earth is and how these folks can direct our attention to it's incredible wonders. Guys like Paul, Bill and many others have given us pleasure by showing us what's around us in an elegant way.
No wonder they never said "Stop and smell the rides".
