|
Gardens are as diverse as anything else man has made on Earth. The sheer number of permutations show that it would be impossible to produce the same garden twice, simply from the fact that they would have to exist in the same space. Given my rudimentary understanding of quantum physics this would only be possible if a parallel universe were to exist - & we have not yet reached the realms of Star Trek.
This odd line of thought comes from recent musings I have been having on the subject of the private garden. If so much variation is possible in a garden, given the variables of colour, texture, shape, management & method, why do so many people have the same basic idea about what one should put in a garden. It seems to be that most people, through no fault of theirs, believe that a garden should conform to a set of unwritten rules that are laid down somewhere, but no-one is quite sure where. Most basic amongst these rules is that a garden should contain plants. Though this will be considered heresy by many, this is by no means the case. Many great gardens & landscapes contain few or no plants, & rely on the hard surfaces for their colour, texture & shape. A landscape is exactly what it says on the tin, land that has been crafted in some way, whether by man or nature. It then follows that a garden is a private landscape, usually enclosed, that is a reflection both of the owners of the land, & the wider landscape around it. Architects probably won’t thank me for mentioning it, but everywhere you look there are landscapes without buildings, but never a building without a landscape. Even if you are moving into a new home, on a building development, & you are confronted with the standard 10m x 10m box of soil surrounded by larch lap fence, you still have a garden, just a very poor one, in my opinion. Given the diversity of gardens, as I said at the beginning, why do many gardens look so similar? It is not for lack of desire, as many clients I talk to jump at the chance of something different. Nor is it the fault of garden centres for selling a limited range of plants & materials (no business in the world could sustain a wide enough range of products & stay solvent). Indeed there is no fault at all. What there is, however, is the incorrect perception that building a good garden is easy. Great gardens take months of research & tortured deliberation to conceive, years of toil to produce, & in all likelihood several changes before the aim is achieved. Good gardens take less, but still take work to produce. The pay off is, that if it is done well, then the rewards are huge, & anyone who has lived with a good garden will tell you, those rewards are renewed every year, without having to change anything. What does a good garden cost? This is a question that (surprise surprise) concerns anyone wanting a new garden. One way to look at this is to ask what is it you wish the garden to do for you. It may be an area for entertaining, for unwinding, for seclusion or contemplation. You may want to work in it, or you might want to look at it like a painting. You should allow a similar budget to an extension, & if it is done well then you will probably spend more time in it than in many of the rooms in your house. A good garden changes, grows, excites & delights, & a wise man once said, “A garden is good for the soul”, & who am I to disagree……. |
