Project Details
The name of the installation is From Seed to Soup - Meet the Cucurbita Family and was part of "Beyond the Edge: Artists' Gardens". It took place at the Experimental Farm, Ottawa, during the summer of 2014. Curators: Mary Faught and Judith Parker.
This crop installation was grown from over twenty varieties of heritage squash belonging to the Cucurbita Family. Planted from seeds obtained by community exchange and local sources, the Cucurbita Family's immense diversity and beauty were displayed as they climbed two sets of large trellises. Over the course of summer and autumn, the plants' rampant growth revealed its sculptural qualities including the leaves, edible flowers and the squash's unusual colours and shapes.
Deborah Margo's experience of gardening as a communal endeavour was encapsulated by this project. Different communities involved included the staff at the Experimental Farm, the two curators and participating artists, accidental visitors, the Canadensis Botanical Garden Society's Board, and passersby who used the Fletcher Wildlife Garden. Inherent to Margo's investigation were questions about what a garden or habitat could be, and the communal role of consuming the harvest and sharing the seeds.
A concluding Public Soup Feast was held on Saturday, September 27, 2014, onsite. Four kinds of squash soup were made by four chefs and enjoyed by over two-hundred visitors.