| m Visiting Gardens | | | | distinct categories. On the one hand, are the |
| The best way to derive inspiration from a garden | | | | subjective desires and needs of the customer. |
| design book, or from walking around a fine public | | | | Designing a garden that fails to relate to these, is like |
| park, is to relax, enjoy the sights, and try to | | | | cooking a magnificent steak for a vegetarian! |
| understand the principles behind what you see. | | | | On the other hand though, the designer sees things |
| All of us involved in gardening, whether home | | | | objectively, by relating everything to the principles of |
| gardeners or landscape professionals, ought to have | | | | design. Here are some issues that a garden designer |
| the will and desire to learn continuously about our | | | | would raise. |
| amazing occupation. A stroll in the local park, apart | | | | *Is the size of the flowerbed in correct proportion to |
| from being a pleasant experience in itself, is an | | | | the size of the lawn? |
| opportunity for gaining just one more insight, or | | | | *Is the height of the proposed trees in scale with |
| learning something new. This is even more so when | | | | the house? |
| one visits some great and famous garden, or even | | | | *Is the leaf shape of a particular bush, in harmony |
| while thumbing through a garden design book. The | | | | with the leaf texture of the mass of shrubs? |
| question is, do you know how to learn from these | | | | *Would that statue serve as a striking focal point? |
| experiences? | | | | Would plants with showy flowers strengthen the |
| It is clear to me as a garden designer and contractor | | | | statue’s role as a focal point or compete with |
| that many homeowners who are anxious for design | | | | it? |
| inspiration, approach the matter from the wrong | | | | *Have I created a clear and bold composition? |
| starting point. Most commonly, the person relates | | | | These are the sort of questions you can ask |
| what they see directly to their own garden. After | | | | yourself when looking for ideas. By mentally |
| thinking Oh that won’t grow in my | | | | distancing yourself from your own garden, you can |
| backyard, or believing that a particular | | | | afford to relax and start to see the reasons why the |
| configuration is beyond their budget, they switch off | | | | water feature has an abstract form, or why |
| and move on in the hope of finding something more | | | | ornamental grasses have been planted around it. You |
| relevant to their situation. The irony is that seeing | | | | realize that all the parts that make up the garden |
| things exclusively from your own subjective point of | | | | seem to belong; that nothing is random, and that |
| view, cuts you off from many sources of inspiration, | | | | everything has a role and purpose. The best way to |
| some of which might be right under your nose! | | | | get real inspiration from a great gardening book or |
| Let us try to see things for a moment as a designer | | | | from a fine park, is to understand the principles |
| would. A professional involved in any branch of | | | | behind the fabulous pictures that you see before |
| design, whether it is gardens, home interiors, or | | | | you. |
| architecture, distinguishes between two vital but | | | | |