Fascination earth

Water is the source of life. It escapes from the earth in a variety of different ways: from the small, gently bubbling well of fresh clear spring water to the powerful eruption of a geyser, emitting a mixture of boiling hot steam, cooler, condensed water and soluble minerals and stone particles. The particularly fascinating thing about this natural spectacle is the unleashed power with which the fountain blasts into the sky.

Rain forest and fog forest

The rainforest is to a great extent an unspoiled ecological system, which due to its high precipitation levels has a particularly damp climate. A distinction is made between tropical rainforests and the rainforests in the more temperate latitudes. Indeciduous tropical rainforests can be found on every continent, on both sides of the equator.

A special type of rainforest, one of the most endangered land ecosystems of our earth, is the fog forest in the higher altitudes. As the name implies, the region is almost always shrouded in clouds and mist. Water is everywhere: in the ground, on leaves and tree trunks and also in the air. The excess of water produces incredibly lush flora and fauna so that the fog forest often has the character of a primeval forest containing a wide range of plant species. Epiphytes, moss, orchids and bromelias make the undergrowth impenetrable.

Playground

Where is it most fun to play? At the waterside! It is wonderful how many things can be built with wet sand and even better how water can be redirected to create a dam. In addition, water provides an additional material to play with: collect flotsam and build great beach sculptures using wood, shells, feathers, stones, remnants of fishing nets and old ropes. The finds tell tales of long journeys and foreign countries and soon we are spinning our own fisherman’s yarn: On the raft we feel like Robinson Crusoe and we can hide in the reeds on the banks of the river. Hopefully we won’t get lost!

Water characterises the image of the landscape

A canyon is a natural landscape created by the impact of water. The water entrenches itself deep into the rock formation, exposing the horizontal layers of stone. The frequently bizarre shapes of the canyon walls and the colourful patterns in the layers of stone are typical for the long process of erosion: Alternating layers of harder and softer rock formations are eroded and smoothed down to different extents. It is hard to believe but people have frequently drowned in the depths of these canyons after being caught off guard by the rush of large bodies of water.

Vegetation community swamp

What lives in tarns, streams and ponds? Almost everyone had one of those discovery books as a child! When we think back to this moment, childhood memories are triggered and we recall roaming through the countryside as little explorers. The swamp cried out for gumboots and dip nets, waiting to be discovered. When it had rained heavily and the water didn’t evaporate immediately, it was quickly colonized by water creatures. One of these impressive pond dwellers is the water strider, which seems to hover effortlessly over the water. The colourful splendour of flowers such as the cuckoo flower and sea lily are supplemented by corresponding animals such as iridescent dragonflies whirring across the water.     

Baskets, shoes, bags, mats – in the past even lamp wicks were made of cane. However according to the latest research, canes, reeds and co. can do much more than that: they can purify water. A truism – or perhaps not? The swamp and its plant stock such as bulrush, grasses and reeds are perfectly suited for purifying wastewater. How many square metres are needed to purify wastewater? Which pollutants can be filtered out and decomposed from the running water? The conclusion is that inconspicuous plant components can have a great effect without the need for chemicals or complicated equipment.

Water installation, fountains

If one looks up the term ‘waterworks’ in the dictionary, one finds the description of a technical construction that provided the water supply for towns or served to irrigate farmland. The combination of pump station and water container used to be made with wood, later with stone.

During the Renaissance and the Baroque era, this knowledge was put to use to build the magnificent palace gardens and artistically designed water basins with fountains, water-jets and waterfalls. The water spouted out of elements such as animals, puttis or fanciful mythical creatures into the water basin. Today, fountain installations are popular, whether in the form of a bubbling element in a pedestrian precinct or a small indoor fountain in the living room at home.

Water in Literature and Music

Water as a vital element between myth and molecule: In this way it does not only create miracles but often greatly mystifies us.

Who hasn’t been spellbound by the secrets found in the depths of the sea? Regardless of whether we are reading the fascinating story of Professor Aronnax, his servant Conseil and the Canadian harpooner Ned Land or watching a TV documentary about the largely unexplored depths of the ocean.

What images arise when we read about the submarine Nautilus and Captain Nemo, the descriptions of unknown deep sea creatures, which are partly fascinating because of their richly colourful beauty and sometimes captivating due to their strange appearance, such as a huge octopus and blind fish with glowing organs.

In his novel, Jules Verne describes the victory of technology over nature, however he also makes us aware of our responsibility towards these creatures by describing their beauty. The mermaid in Copenhagen or Molly Melone in Dublin, there are many stories and myths that play directly on the theme of water.

However water has not only produced great compositions in literature but also in music: if we close our eyes and listen to Moldau by Smetana, if we sit barefoot by a little murmuring stream listening to Handel’s wonderful water music, our imagination is triggered and we envisage large fountains in Baroque castle gardens, through which women walk in rustling silk robes.

Water and energy generation

Water and energy – where water flows, there is also power involved. In a hydroelectric power station the water’s mechanical energy is transformed into electricity, making it utilizable for humans.

We can observe with fascination the strength and force contained in water when a storm tide causes the approaching crests of the waves to break on the beach with thunderous power or when a rushing waterfall drops vertically into the valley.

The foaming froth is transformed by the sunlight into rich colourful prisms, transforming the unrestrained power into a playful scene. Primeval forces and the fascination of beauty can be found side by side: The tranquillity of the backwater coupled with the avalanche of water as an unleashed elemental force in a state of chaos and disorder.

Water in feng shui

Water rushes out of the springs, bubbling and full of life, only to then be forced into pipes. Water has still not been completely investigated and we now know that it is not enough to simply reduce it to the chemical formula H₂O.

We use water in many ways without thinking directly about its impact. What is interesting is that it can continuously manifest in different ways yet still have the same effect on us. Anglers go fishing so that they can sit calmly by the water. We sit on the beach and watch the   tides come and go. Or the sight of waves breaking on the beach: a sight that constantly repeats itself yet never becomes tedious. And what effect does the sound of water have on us? Depending on our own mood, the quietly murmuring stream or the roaring waterfall can trigger different feelings or reactions. 

Not getting wet behind the ears – that is one way of using water.

We know that taking a shower is always better than getting into the bath, and the dual flush system is standard on toilets in our latitudes today. But do we really have a clear understanding of this? What does it really mean to save 10 litres of water and how does that manifest? We cannot really imagine it because water always flows away again immediately, it runs through our fingers so to speak. Saving water gives us a clearer conscience.

What significance does water have today, not only in terms of personal use but for our quality of life? Water in the form of bathing water or swimming pool water is an important factor for tourism. When we think of holidays, don’t we immediately think of the beach, summer, sun, and clear blue water? Or a scented bath amidst rose petals? Visiting this garden may bring us to realize that we use water in our everyday life without thinking about the quantity while at the same time emphasizing its positive life-giving qualities.

Water in production

When we hear the word water we probably spontaneously think of a tap. We turn it on and the water hopefully flows out of it, pure and clean. However, have we ever thought about how many different kinds of water exist? In our environment we can find freshwater, seawater, saltwater and brackwater. We associate different images with each of these kinds of water.

What comes to mind when we think of rainwater, surface water, groundwater or raw water? And what images do the words drinking water, industrial water, cooling water or wastewater conjure up? Water should not only be perceived as a consumer good but also as a trading commodity. We draw up contracts for the usage and consumption of water and often pay large sums of money for it too.

If we buy a dry product such as a T-shirt, we hardly spare a thought for the fact that 4 100 litres of water are needed to manufacture it and 8 000 litres are needed for a pair of shoes. Many people are not aware of this fact. Imagine: that means 41 000 litres for 10 T-shirts. Is that the equivalent of the contents of a swimming pool? Its hard to believe that a new car needs 450 000 litres. How much does something as big as a truck consume then?

Significance of water for humankind

The human body consists to 70 percent of water. A water deficit in humans can lead to serious health problems because the bodily functions that rely on water are restricted. We need water to live because it is likewise a food product and a component required for the production of food.  

When it comes to the use of water in food production one can differentiate between water in which fish suitable for consumption live and water used for the irrigation of regional fruit, cereal and vegetables. Another very different form of water, the so-called green water, also provides us with food. Here we are dealing with imported agricultural products from other countries or even continents for which irrigation water has been used in cultivation.

How much water is actually required before there is sufficient cereal to make a loaf of bread? And how much water must be added to coffee beans in order to produce a cup of coffee? We hardly ever pose such questions in everyday life. If we stand in the kitchen and crack an egg for baking, we can scarcely imagine that 135 litres of water were required for its production, for a glass of milk as much as 200 litres. But how reassuring: only 50 litres of water are required for two potatoes, although for the cultivation of bananas 1000 litres are required per square metre floor space.

Although water plays such an important role in the production of foodstuffs, when it runs down our throats it is an experience itself. Water is a pure, clear liquid and the mere thought of the cool, sparkling wetness on a hot summer day triggers our imagination. In this way, water in its role as a foodstuff connects us to the kitchen. As a result of the development of wellness and healthy living, water can almost be considered a modern lifestyle accessory: thus it is very fashionable to import water great distances from particularly pure Scandinavian glacier regions or from alpine rock filters and to serve it as a luxury product in exclusively designed bottles intended to emphasize its high quality. 

Savanna landscape

The savannah is on one hand defined by its tropical vegetation, which consists of a closed layer of herbage and a looser layer of wood, and on the other hand by a temperate zone between rainforest and desert.

The vegetation is dominated by a seasonal water shortage. The characteristic landscape changes from dry and sparse to a lush, fresh green. The predominant tree species are the acacia and the dry, bare baobab. Water, but also fire, characterizes the appearance of the savannah: The fires cause young trees to die and benefits the grasses. They also remove dead pieces of plant thus allowing nutrients to pass back into the cycle. 

With its dependency on water, fire and on humans, the ecological balance of the savannah is maintained: Fires create space for the spacious grasslands while water enables the growth of grass and foliage. Large herbivores such as elephants limit the growth of the trees by breaking off branches or pushing over trees. As a result of the trees dying off, the forest stock is thinned out. This also enhances the growth conditions for grasses, creating grazing land for buffalos, zebras and gazelles. If this ecological system is disturbed by humans, for example due to overgrazing, the fertile soil layer is eroded and desertification is the result.

The power of drops

Oases are spots of vegetation in the desert, usually located by a spring or a watering hole. They vary in size and character, from small ponds surrounded by date palms to major cities with industrial and agricultural businesses.

Oases used to be supply stations for caravans as well as nomads' trading centres. News as well as goods are exchanged in the hustle and bustle.

Sophisticated irrigation techniques enable oasis economies to exist. The water required to cultivate crops is usually distributed via open canals – forming a mosaic-like pattern – following a strictly defined formula. This is an intensive type of economy within the oases, not only supplying the population with food, but also often providing important cultural goods with the cultivated crops.

Shimmering in the desert

The air shimmers above the desert and at any moment a fata morgana could appear: The journey through the “Worlds of Water” ends in a dry and barren place. The garden communicates the ambience of an arid zone through the use of materials such as sand, gravel and shingle. In correspondence with the garden “Desert Waves” an even stronger setting for this landscape could be established, one that plays with the different colours of the desert sand: The white shimmering salt desert, the red, glowing sand of the Namib Desert and the warm golden colour of the Sahara.

The desert landscape, its contours cut razor-sharp by the wind, show strong contrasts of heat and cold but also glaring light and shadows.

In this garden one of the desert landscapes of this world will be presented. The use of plants, if they are used at all, is a rather thorny and prickly affair: How have the plants adapted to this extreme location? One way they have acclimatised is by reducing the surface of their leaves and storing water in their subterranean root system. They are obviously real survival- and water-conservation artists and defend their hard-won lives with barbs and thorns. Sometimes the desert plants only blossom when it has rained, remaining in stand-by modus until then.