Completed 2018
The California coast is loved for the vast, sublime, and ethereal landscape of the Coastal Prairie. It is characterized by its species-rich herbaceous grasslands and sage-dominated scrub. These landscapes are extremely resilient, withstanding California’s natural and manmade histories including strong wind, salt spray, fire, and grazing, all events that are integral to California and its heritage.
The Coastal Prairie thrives off the change of season. In the summer the bright green grasslands attract cattle and sheep ranchers for grazing. In the fall the grasses bloom and their small seed heads glow in the sun, soon to fall off and self-sow for next year. The dormant period of winter reveals the strong architectural forms of the grass, as it stands strong, dry, and brown. With the unfolding of spring, new green growth shoots out from the roots heralding the bloom of small sticky flowers. The fog returns and saturates the the plants. This is the texture and mood of California that we all know and love. This life-cycle is ingrained in the culture and the livelihood of Californians, and it is central to the idea of celebrating the rituals of life with Year + Day.
In the store, we have species that represent the grasslands and flowering species that make up the California Coastal Prairie. You can see the seed heads are mature and grass is starting to brown -- prepping for dormancy.
