Can green be gorgeous?

Late summer is an odd time in the garden. It can start to look a bit too green. Now there are some people out there (garden designers mainly, and a few garden snobs), who think colour is 'vulgar'. I am not one of them, but they do have a point sometimes. On a recent garden visit, there were some striking examples of some garden elements working really well without any flowers stealing the limelight. This is where the garden designers start talking about form, bones and contrasting foliage and structure. Now, as a person who was thrown out of the Art class at fourteen for a singular lack of talent, I am not one to say I know anything about design. But I know what I like;and with a bit of thought you can usually work out why you like something.

Take for example, the statue of the young lady sitting beside the water lily pond. This was a 'I must get a picture of that' moment. The statue seemed to be in a perfect setting - but it is a setting of contrasts if you look closely. The spiky linearity of the iris in the foreground, the random rectangles of stone (softened by lichen and the airy triangles of the ferns), and the rounded leaves of water-lilies. The girl is framed by geometry, but because it contrasts subtly, it works. 

I think this composition works from all angles, and probably at all times of the year. The sculpture is fantastic, as is the structure of the pond and it's wall, and the planting is simple but bold. Trying to achieve something like this in your own garden is not as easy as it looks, if you have 'magpie' tendencies like myself. I tend to buy one of this and one of that, and really my borders just end up looking bitty (but I still like them). If you have the talent, planning a garden 'wow' feature like this can be very rewarding. But you do have to plan; I'm absolutely sure about that. So researching plant size, habit, foliage colour and shape, hardiness etc, are all essential bits of information for you to work on, once you've got the bones of your garden plan sorted out (having a friendly, low cost bricky, would be an advantage too!). It's a fascinating exercise if you have the patience.

Trees too can be used as design features in bold ways. I, for one, would have never have dreamed of having a couple of rows of Acers marching down a lawn, but yes they really focus your attention, and will look fantastic in Winter, Autumn and Spring too. This is the advantage of garden visiting. You learn about what you like (and what you don't), new plants and ideas, and if you're lucky, you get to chat with the garden designer/ owner/ or general dogsbody. Private gardens which open through the National Gardens Scheme are ideal for this purpose. If you go to see open gardens in the area where you live, they may have similar gardening conditions to your garden, and you can pick ideas and tips relevant to your own personal desires. The proceeds go to charity, and it won't cost you a fortune. For more information go to www.ngs.org.uk

I'd like to thank to thank the owners of Yewbarrow House, Grange over Sands, for their kind permission to put photos of their garden on this website.

Next blog: Late summer colour