It’s mid-April, and at my feet tiny golden brushstrokes are painted atop the cheerfully lobed leaves of a Potentilla crantzii. I imagine I’m perched on a blustery ledge in the Central Highlands of Scotland, but as my gaze moves past the tiny cinquefoil I see flora of the Caucasus Mountains, the Japanese Alps, and North Africa. My armchair exploration while safely anchored at an elevation of a mere 525 feet (160 m) above sea level is made possible by the Walter C. Heasley Rock Garden at Cornell Botanic Gardens. This historically underfunded yet botanically significant garden is a portal to high places. It is a conduit for diverse narratives ranging from alpine ecology and rock gardening to climate change mitigation practices implemented by indigenous cultures around the world.
