Construction
HIGH RES IMAGES AVAILABLE TO PRINT MEDIA UPON REQUEST TO lomberg@aloha.net
The Galaxy Garden was conceived and designed by Jon Lomberg and built by him and Barbara DeFranco, Director of the Paleaku Peace Gardens Sanctuary. Whatever the concept, the piece had to work as a garden. If Lomberg brought the galaxy to the project, Barbara DeFranco nurtured the garden to life. Her many years of experience as a tropical gardener and design consultant, plus her excellent feel for shapes, colors and textures allowed her to guide the selection of plants. She used biodynamic techniques for planting, feeding, and insect prevention to insure the integrity of the Galaxy Garden into the existing landscape. For years before they started, she mowed the grass in expanding spirals, preparing the site to accept this new cosmic geometry. Her ability in integrating conceptual and cultural art projects is a passion that can be seen throughout Paleaku's extensive gardens. 
The site before construction began. The red traffic cone marks the position of the center of the galaxy. 
Laying out the pattern of spiral arms. 
Digging the trenches with a backhoe. 
Science teacher Janine Stavrovsky and her students from Konawaena High School are seen digging out rock from the trenches. Hard work! 
Bringing in cinder and soil. 
The finished pattern, ready for planting. 
We gathered all the crotons in Kona we could... 
Plants moved into the trenches. 
A new arm is planted. 
Busy planting. 
Student volunteers from nearby Konawaena High School's Astronomy Club and science classes provided lots of hard labor digging trenches. 
More Konawaena muscle! 
Not all our workers are students. Here is Ernesto Anasagasti, considering what needs to be done next. He was our hardest working volunteer, as well as an excellent photographer who took many of the photos on this and the Tour pages on this site. 
Putting in a future star-forming nebula. 
Groundcloth is laid between the spiral arms to block weeds. Cinder is then spread over the arms for paths. The cinder represents interstellar dust. When it is walked on, the crunchy sound is remarkably like the sound of radio emissions from space. 
The Orion Arm (center) and the Sagittarius Arm (right) take shape. 
The Galaxy Garden as of May, 2007. Most of the arms are planted and the groundcloth and cinder are almost complete. 
Digging the final arm! The ones in the background have been planted, had groundcloth laid down and cinder spread over them. 
Students at work on the service trench that brings power and water to the central fountain. 
The center of the galaxy, before the fountain. The black lava rock marks the center. 
The ellipse of rocks indicates the size and position of the "bar" structure recently discovered at the galactic center, making the Milky Way a "barred spiral" galaxy. 
The galactic center is still marked by the lava rock. The oval that defines the bar is complete, and the cloth has been laid. Piles of cinder and dirt are still visible in the background. 
The black hole fountain installed. Note the gravity well and jet. The fountain was designed by Jon Lomberg and built by Luis Castillo. The rock borders surrounding the bar and spiral arms were built by Miles Thurby. 
The Galaxy Garden, September 2007. 
The Galaxy Garden shows significant growth as of October 2007. |
