The Renewal Garden will be a set of two spiraling pathways that cross through beds of various vegetables, herbs and fruits, ending at a central grassy area with the multi-fruit tree in the center (figure 1). Enclosed in glass, the temperature and atmosphere of the garden will be regulated to encourage growth and allow Earth-based plants to thrive. […] On its most basic level, this monument is a commemoration to that interaction of human and plant, the role produce has played in our culture, pleasure, and existence during our time on Earth. We sustain the plants grown in the garden and in turn they sustain us. However, on another level, this monument is commemorating the emotional and spiritual value in collective work, experiences, and stories.
The concept of renewal is what makes the garden distinctly a monument rather than a memorial. To renew, one must look to the past and bring those actions or memories into the present and even the future. Therefore, the garden is not a place to despair about what we have lost but rather is a reminder of our past and evidence for our future potential. Within the garden those of the older generations will have a space to pass down memories and cultural practices to the youth, giving the customs new life and ensuring that they last into the future. By creating and sustaining the garden, we will prove that even in our location millions of miles away from our old home on Earth, the people of Mars can have similar practices of connecting to one another through collective work and food.
[A]s long as the garden is alive, and maintained by the public, its themes of human and plant interdependence and collective work will remain strong and active. At this moment in time the monument is certainly meant to connect to authentic cultural practices from earth as told by the older generation. However, it is very possible that as time passes, the exact techniques used, or stories related to the garden will become mutated. That is simply the result of the natural progression of time and the telephone-esque quality of passing down information across generations
