An education through the “weeds”: the resilience of ruderal vegetation and aesthetic experience in landscaping practices

Abstract

The study investigates the sensitive dimension of ruderal flora in urban areas. These short-cycle pioneering species occur in highly disturbed environments. Their interactions dissolve into the ineffable fluctuation of pollen, spores, and seeds. The diversity of arrangements configured by them emerges in equally ‘undestined’ spaces (without use or maintenance) or urban production waste. Under the generic and usually derogatory designation of “weeds,” the ruderal flora insistently shows qualities that deserve appreciation and discussion: the values of persistence, vigor, and renewal inherent in survival tactics. Because plants are also world makers (Coccia, 2018a), we assume that recognizing their processes and dynamics, associated with the direct perception of their corresponding phenomena, favors the development of different pedagogies. Betting on an education of sensitivity of the consciousness that precedes intellectual knowledge (Duarte Júnior, 2004) reaffirms the urgency of aesthetic experiences in education, signaling alternatives to the commonly disseminated view of ruderal flora when seeking contributions to reinvigorate the repertoire of botanical, floristic associations and management methods available for teaching/learning practices in landscaping.