As one of the top attractions at the Shanghai International Flower Festival, the messy-haired dog-shaped green sculpture of a West Highland White Terrier at Suzhou Creek Central Greenway has been extended until the end of August.
With summer approaching, just like people change clothes for the season, the “messy dog” also needs to switch to a more heat-resistant and sun-tolerant summer outfit. Yesterday, the “messy dog” began trying on its summer look, expected to debut with a fresh appearance on the 14th.
The key to the “messy dog’s” viral popularity is its flowing “fur.” To realistically recreate the effect of the West Highland White Terrier’s hair blowing in the wind while running, the design team tested over a dozen types of grass, ultimately selecting needle grass and blue fescue.
Needle grass effectively mimics the fur on the dog’s head and body, with its fluffy, soft texture swaying in the breeze. Blue fescue is also soft but shorter, making it better suited for the dog’s paw fur.
However, plants have their own growth patterns and environmental preferences. While needle grass and blue fescue are good choices, they are cool-season plants and cannot withstand Shanghai’s hot and humid “sauna days.”
Yesterday, replacements for needle grass and blue fescue were found in a green belt along the Suzhou River—Everest sedge and golden sedge.
“Originally, the dog’s front face used needle grass, but now it will be replaced with Everest sedge and golden sedge, with golden sedge as the base and Everest sedge as accents.” The grass species chosen for the dog’s “summer fur” prioritize heat and sun tolerance, while also selecting varieties with texture and appearance closer to real dog fur.
The combination of Everest sedge and golden sedge is slightly less effective than needle grass and blue fescue. These grasses are relatively shorter, thicker, and tougher, requiring more careful arrangement to prevent the “messy dog” from looking “frizzy.”
Another important reason for choosing Everest sedge and golden sedge is their lower maintenance cost and greater sustainability. “These two types of grass are evergreen, able to survive both summer and winter. In theory, if properly maintained, they don’t need to be replaced year-round.” They hope the “messy dog” won’t become a delicate “luxury item,” as that would contradict its “messy” character.
“Messy” is precisely one of the key reasons the “messy dog” became a hit online.
Unlike previous pursuits of refined horticultural landscapes, the design and maintenance teams allow the “messy dog’s” fur to grow longer and turn yellow naturally, or temporarily expose patches of “skin” due to shedding. This “ordinary mindset” is full of life and has been interpreted by netizens as “working hard but without any workplace fatigue.”
The “messy dog” in its spring outfit underwent two major repairs, mainly involving large-scale replacement of unhealthy needle grass and blue fescue. After switching to Everest sedge and golden sedge, gardeners will use the “messy dog” as a test subject to explore low-maintenance green sculptures. If successful, this approach could be replicated in more places, making urban greenery not only “beautiful” but also “cost-effective” and sustainable. If the trial succeeds, the “messy dog” could even accompany residents throughout the year, becoming a permanent landmark in Shanghai.
Similarly imperfect is the “messy dog’s” floral vest, originally made with petunias as the base and silver ragwort as trim. Now, the base has been switched to lantana. Lantana’s advantage is its rich colors and high heat tolerance, but it is less creeping than petunias. If pruning is not kept up, the vest can become “thick” as lantana grows, turning into a “puffy vest” propped up by stiff lantana stems.
There will certainly be visual differences between the spring limited edition and the “long-lasting” version of the “messy dog.” If people want the “messy dog” to stay with them, they must accept a little “imperfection.” In this sense, the “messy dog” also serves a social experiment function: it enhances public aesthetics while testing people’s “tolerance” for the contradiction between plant characteristics and horticultural works. This process of inviting social participation in urban construction and management is a beneficial experiment for city development.
Additionally, from June
