Simplifying the color palette and embracing natural elements can create an oasis of well-being
My ideal garden is a serene place , one in which I feel connected to thenatural worldthrough rich , sensory experience . It is a place that get a sense of well - being . make a diverse , densely planted , superimposed garden with some secret and some surprise is the intention . draw from some of my most memorable experiences in nature , I want the garden to provide a habitat forinsects , salientian , bird , and other creatures while also being a space for people . These have been the goals I have worked toward in my garden inGlen Echo , Maryland . I have institute that creating a peaceful garden comes fromsetting the moodfrom the first step into the garden and carrying it through with a soothing vividness pallet , an promiscuous pace , and a variety of sensory experience .
Serenity in the suburbs
A garden can be a position of calm reflection even if you live on a in use suburban lot . plant andwater featuresfilter out views and racket while inviting the soothing presence of birds , frogs , and other wildlife .
Set the mood right from the beginning
Living in a friendly neighborhood , I require to receive neighbors come into the house , as well as those walk by , with an entering that is opened and approachable . Our 3½-foot fencing is high enough to define the distance and low enough to allow passersby to see the interesting bloom andtextured plants . The front garden also is low than the sidewalk , inviting all to take care in and come across the stone edging and diamond - pave pattern . keep the front garden as an assailable blank space with lawn down the middle add together to the welcoming feeling that draw client into our garden . The ease in the planting facilitate to soften the garden .
Once inside the front , one detect an arch of weep Norway spruce ( Piceaabies‘Pendula ’ , USDA Hardiness Zones 3–8 ) compose a three - tiered jet in the street corner . act as a focal stop , the outflow pulls you along to the next space on the garden journeying . The shade and the outpouring ’s mildly fall water make this a peaceful place , which is why we call it “ the meditation garden . ” This garden is surrounded by a mixed hedging , create a infinite that feel like a room isolate from other parts of the garden . The symmetry and balance of the outer space are soothe to the eye . The natural spring is 5 feet tall and , for get the proportionality just right , the out sharpness of the brick base is 5 foot in diam . The internal forget me drug of brick is just wide enough to insure that the water creates a soft splashing on the brick after it falls , for a sense of chilliness and refreshment , as well as a position for a variety of moss and plants to grow . Hardy begonia ( Begonia grandis , geographical zone 6–9 ) and creeping breakstone ( Saxifraga stolonifera , Zones 6–9 ) seem to grow mirthfully nestled into the brick crevices .
Keep things interesting but calm
Nearby is a bench to sit on and sop up the peaceful sounds of the water . From here , you’re able to wait out over the garden to watch an regalia of chick and take in the rich layers of planting along the patio leading down to the moss garden . The steps pass away down the slope toward the moss garden also officiate as a part of the patio design . They are easy , with a tenacious tread ( 4 foot ) and a low riser ( 6½inches ) , following the existing slope so the walk is slow and the garden can be revel along the elbow room .
This EL change makes it soft to see the ample and wide-ranging arras of industrial plant including a variety of ferns and aboriginal grasses . Green is the coloring material of alternative in my garden , and the plants I choose create richness through their forms , textures , and shapes . I use occasional colorful annual and electric light as highlighting , surprises , or as accents to move the eye or , in the pillowcase of gold foliage , to lighten dark spaces .
The moss garden and the Buddha sculpture at the al-Qa’ida of the patio leave a form of landing place for the center while enticing you to move along to the Qaeda . The moss garden is in the main variation of green and truly looks beautiful in four time of year due to the careful selection of contrasting evergreens such as camellias ( Camelliaspp . and cvs . , Zones 6–10 ) , conifers , and Japanese laurels ( Aucuba japonicaand cvs , Zones 7–9 ) along with dissimilar varieties of moss . Initially , this cardinal landing area was planted with lawn . When the moss wanted to grow instead , it was logical to convert it to a moss lawn . The Florida key to keeping it beautiful is to keep it weeded and not have the fall leaves remain on it for too long . Moss is racy and more rough-textured than lawn . It upholster the landscape painting with the added welfare of not needing to be mowed . The Buddha sculpture stands at just the right place and setting where its colour pulls you along the journey and alight the glowering place .
On many late occasions , I had to campaign my desire to grease one’s palms various garden ornaments for the garden . In hindsight , I see that they would not have added to the sensation of peacefulness . More in all likelihood , if I had not had restraint in the choice and selection of garden ornaments , the garden would have become busy and less tranquil .
Make the end worth the journey
Last along the journeying is the waterfall garden , designed with a portmanteau of Asian and western esthesia . It come out with a watercourse that weave into a small , realistic pool and then into a orthogonal puddle with artistically arranged Edward Durell Stone . We created a signified of astuteness here by using big - leaved , bold - textured plants toward the back of the waterfall . This gives the illusion that the space is larger than it really is . We tweak the specific placement of stone within the current and waterfall , along with the magnate of the heart ( 1 horsepower ) , to provide pleasing weewee music reminiscent of mickle streams .
In order for the pee garden to be a rich home ground , we expend a skimmer filter , ultraviolet igniter , but no chlorine . Several sort of frogs and toads come to the pocket billiards every class for breeding , it is home to many rescue fish , and it is a key tearing fix for birds who create nests in nearby plants .
A sense of enclosure created by the KO’d planting adds to the feeling of being in another , more serene world . Since our county police force require a minimal 6 - foot - gamey fence around a pool area , we used miscellaneous marvelous plantings on the outer border of the three English that are fence . This provide privacy and a pleasing backdrop for lower garden plant . Since we inhabit in fairly stuffy quarter with neighbor , this combination contributes to the mother wit that the garden is an oasis .
Continuity of materials is really important in a garden so that it is n’t a hodgepodge of motley , unrelated stuff . Our garden uses aboriginal granite stone , flagstone , and old brick throughout . repeat in the garden gives a sentiency of continuity — an essential ingredient to keep the garden equanimity .
From the porch look out over the garden , the timber of light and air delights the senses . mottled light dances through the shimmer leaves , golden light highlighting plants as the Dominicus moves , delightful sounds hum from a wide of the mark variety of birds and the waterfalls , and smell streamer up from hidden flowers — all this give a sense of peacefulness . Being in the garden creates a feeling of eternity . It is a natural chancel , a place where it is possible to experience a close connecter with the raw world .
Holly H. Shimizu is the former executive theatre director at theU.S. Botanic Garden .
Photos : Steve Aitken ; Neil Soderstrom . Illustrations : Kate Gosselin
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Take a slow, steady journey.The openness of the entry garden (below) is welcoming, and its subdued color palette sets the tone for what is to come (photo taken at B on the site plan). The quiet glow of the Buddha statue (above) draws you down the long steps of the terrace garden (photo taken at C on the site plan).
Green is calm, but it doesn’t have to be boring.This default color in the garden is soothing to the eye, but it also provides the opportunity to explore a variety of texture combinations (photo taken at D on the site plan).
Provide a place to reflect.A placid pool with a gentle waterfall delights multiple senses and is the perfect spot to sit and contemplate the garden, nature, or anything else that wanders into your mind (photo taken at E on the site plan).
