in the words of the gestalt gardener

Today while presenting my ideas for this first design project I am working on since over a year ago when I took a sabbatical from the design world and all of its intricate directions it can pull you in I learned about a history that connected to my design that I had no idea about and I want to share it with you. Something I decided to incorporate into my design was refraction of light through colored glass. Well the cheapest means of obtaining colored glass is by gathering empty wine bottles, something there is no shortage of in my life. Then it was brought to my attention that some of the elements I designed were a bit melancholic and though it was not my intention I am not one bit surprised by that considering the last 11 months of my life. I had looked at them a whimsical and colorful, but am realizing a deeper meaning and that I am not opposed to a heavier feeling associated with them.

I first want to define Melancholy - 1. a gloomy state of mind 2. sober thoughtfulness

Well definition 2 is exactly what is was wanting out of the space, I wanted the user to enter a place of reflection by passing under a free standing portal or by gazing through a floating window. I don't wish a gloomy state of mind, but in a peaceful setting I should hope the user might be lifted out of that state.

I googled the history of a bottle tree and the first site that came up was Mr. Felder Rushing's page. For anyone who has met this man he is about 50 shades of green and everything in between. He hosts a MPB radio show called the Gestalt Gardener and for anyone interested in what he means by gestalt gardener I understand it to be one person who uses many techniques, or basically there's no one right way to do something.
Back to the history and lore I discovered I was incorporating into my design without quite knowing!
Glass, particularly blue glass has had meaning in the outdoor environment for as long as glass has existed. Glass was meant to contain imps or spirits expelled from people through sneezes. If someone sneezed they were blessed to prevent the expelled evil from re-entering and bottles were used to contain them. Legends told of roaming night spirits being trapped in opaque bottles and that's where the stories of genies in bottles. Bottle trees were made in Africa by hanging bottles on tree branches to trap "haints" or spirits. Before interning a house. The cobalt blue glass was even used in windows around doorways to repel the haints and became known as "haint blue." In respect to the ideas of glass in the garden, another idea was reflective surfaces such as gazing balls would repel witches.
So long story short I'm really happy with my decision and use of colored glass and in tact bottles in my design as a deeper mean for this place of thinking.