A Journey Through The Garden

Why Is A Journey So Important?

The journey is all about the element of surprise and discovery really - walking into a garden and being drawn to the next part because of an interesting focal point, structure or hidden area. By nature we are inquisitive creatures and we will go to where our eye is drawn or where something is hidden from view.

Think of children in a garden. They are always on the look out for interesting things and places where they cannot be seen. If there is a pergola there, they are drawn straight to it, walking through it, sometimes many times. If there is a trellis panel hiding an area, they want to find out what is around the other side. We, as adults, are usually more restrained but our basic instinct is to follow the path that our eye takes us. And not just our eye! It might be the sound of running water, the feel of something underfoot or the smell of a flower.

All of these things entice us to explore and thereby satisfy our senses.

How Can I Create a Journey?

One of the easiest ways to section off the garden is to use arches, pergolas or trellis. There are so many on the market nowadays, we are spoilt for choice. It isn't necessary to have a big garden to achieve this. It can be done in the smallest of spaces. Even one or two trellis panels can be very effective in creating bays and corners. The main idea is not being able to see the whole garden at once.

Focal points can be a whole range of plants or objects, including pergolas, arches, gazebos, obelisks, urns, statues, water features, seating areas, decks, patios, sculptues, bird baths, sun dials, arbours.....whatever is your thing!

Examples.

Example 1:

The first is a garden of a friend, whose husband was going to replace the existing rectangular lawn with a bigger rectangular lawn. I could tell she wasn't sure about this, so drew up a simple plan, which was based around a circular lawn. The area was only 10m x10m, so to construct a journey through the garden was not the easiest of tasks.

The photograph of the finished garden was taken just after completion but it shows the idea of making a small space interesting.

Coming up the steps from the right hand side, the eye is drawn initially to the planting in the border on the right. Then the focal point becomes the swinging arbour nestled in the corner, planted with climbers. The path leads around the circular lawn past the beautiful magnolia tree, which has become a wonderful feature plant, rather than an untidy obstacle. Chairs can be placed under here for sitting in the shade. The path then moves on futher around the lawn to another focal point, which will soon be a sun-dial on a pedestal. This doesn't actually go anywhere! - but that doesn't matter. It gives an illusion of moving futher on. The circular lawn, coupled with the cottage garden planting and pergola give a wonderful sense of peace, tranquility and enclosure.

Above all, the garden can't be seen from the house entrance as it is on a higher level so that when you do enter the garden via the steps, you are greeted by this wonderful haven.

Example 2:

This second garden was long and wide, looked acceptably tidy from a distance but the owner was frustrated with weeds between stones and the featurelessness of the garden - high maintenance and no pleasure! - she loves plants.

So, starting from the top, we have a stone platform, at a level of 5' above the garden, joined by two areas of split level decking to bring us on to garden level. Walking to the right we see a natural water feature, with waterfall, which can be viewed from the seating area nestled in front of the trellis and surrounded by plants.

To get to the second section of the garden we go through the arch, which can lead either to the seating area, the exit onto the drive or through the next arch into the bottom section of the garden.

The third area is gently sloping, eventually arriving at the swinging arbour down a series of sleepers to take in the slope. A bird bath is placed just by the entrance. The gate in the bottom corner really leads nowhere apart from an access path to the next house but it gives the feeling of limitless space.

The picture shows the middle section (from the side entrance), which is made up of large boulders and architectural planting. Each section has its own distinctive style. With mixed planting of perenials and shrubs, this garden looks stunning. My client is happy now because she can 'potter' in the garden, rather than spending hours getting nowhere. The garden is now both manageable and beautiful! - even though it is newly planted and things will take time to develop.

The use of pergolas, arches and trellising is invaluable in sectioning off space and providing focal points and a journey through the garden.

It may look like a lot of wood at the moment but the wood will mellow and the plants will take over in no time at all!