THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
Many of us stamp our personality on our home’s interior but feel less sure when it comes to the garden. This is a space that offers limitless possibilities, argues Ula Maria
As a child I spent so much time outdoors I came to think of our garden as a natural extension to the indoor living space. The boundary between house and garden was blurred, and when the weather was kind, our family spent more time outdoors than in. Our orchard with its gnarly apple and apricot trees was the best playroom my brothers and I could wish for. We spent hours playing hide and seek in the kitchen garden among the tall raspberry stems and giant sunflowers. Every corner of the garden was filled with memories and sentimental items, with the personalities of each family member reflected in different aspects of the garden: the style of the planting, the colours and materials used and in hand-crafted fittings; collectively they told our family’s story. To this day it’s still the garden that holds the strongest associations of ‘home’ for me, more so than any other house I’ve lived in since.
When designing a garden, I think it is important to see that every garden has the potential to tell the story of those who inhabit it, making it a space that’s not only beautiful and functional, but meaningful too. Many people feel their house is a true reflection of themselves, but I believe it’s the garden where personality and relationships with our surroundings truly blossom.
THE STARTING POINT
To design a garden that will reflect fragments of yourself might seem daunting at first, and it is sometimes hard to know where to begin. Most people are far more comfortable designing interior spaces, than working with outdoor plants and an arrangement of outdoor spaces. But it’s important to keep reminding yourself, that unlike interior spaces gardens are continuously evolving, and no garden has to be perfect right from the start; nature is much more intricate and forgiving.
There are few places that reflect our personality better than the place where we choose to live. So it’s essential to re-assess your surroundings both to understand your garden in its wider environment but also to work out what were the key aesthetic factors that first drew you to the house. Often, your home’s architecture and the local vernacular will inspire your choices for the garden. For example, the dominant materials of the building, be they timber, brick or stone, could influence what materials you choose for the garden. You can choose to match materials or find other materials that either complement or contrast their colour and texture qualities with those of your home.
Before embarking on a design, I always take time to explore and evaluate the site, as it’s important to consider a garden in its wider environment. Imposing something that goes against the grain of the site will always look unnatural and forced. Often, the best practice is to begin with a subtle base, on which you can introduce layers of personality over time. Smaller, more enclosed spaces are more forgiving, and will give you more freedom to establish the garden’s character without having to worry so much about its surroundings.
OUTDOOR SPACE
Another way of starting a garden is to think of it as an extension of your home, a space full of potential, with room to play, dine, rest and, above all, reconnect with nature. A garden will always work best if it ties in well with your lifestyle; how much time you
GARDENS ARE ALWAYS EVOLVING, AND NO GARDEN HAS TO BE PERFECT RIGHT FROM THE START
spend outdoors and how you want to use the garden. Whether your priority is a kitchen garden, a dining space, or a specific, sport-related area, you need to identify key dedicated function areas that are important to you and your family. The more practical and useful the spaces you create in your garden, the more likely it is you’ll feel encouraged to tend and nourish that garden. However, if you have a lifestyle that doesn’t allow you to spend much time outdoors, then you may be better to concentrate on creating beautiful views that will be visible from the windows you look out of the most often.
It’s also incredibly important you don’t forget about your front garden. After all, this is the space that greets you every time you come home and it is the first ‘room’ of your home visitors will see – and as we know, first impressions count. Your front garden should be a miniature representation of what anyone visiting you for the first time can expect to find in the rest of your home – and that includes you.
PERSONAL TOUCH
Many of us enjoy adding our unique and personal touches to our home. Likewise, the smallest details can give a garden a distinctive look that reflect its owner’s personality. If the key structural features and the background materials of a garden are relaxed and unified, then the smaller details and design elements could be of a more eclectic nature, to help inject charm and character into the space. Water features, sculptures, and plant pots are some of the most obvious design elements used to introduce unique character into the space. But, I think it is important not to forget that other features, such as fencing and gates, can also be used to express your design flair. For example, if you were to install architectural, darkcoloured, heavy metal gates you will present a completely different personality and feel than if you install more fragile gates with an intricate latticework design. But most of all, it’s our planting choices that reveal our personality in a garden. Some planting designs are colourful, loud and showy, proudly standing out from the neighbouring gardens. Some are light and dreamy, yet slightly chaotic, with sways of colourful flowers perfectly blending one into another and their seedheads swaying in the wind. Others are structural, unified and perfectly balanced, with flawless topiary and a freshly mown lawn. In some gardens, you can find plants from far-flung places, indigenous to their owner’s home countries, or rare specimens passed on from one generation to another.
LAYERS OF TIME
Like our personalities, our gardens consist of many layers, shaped by time and events. I believe it is important that we keep experimenting, searching and building upon those layers that result in the most characterful gardens that can be shared with others. It is essential to remember that unlike interior spaces, even the best gardens are never finished, and often frayed around the edges. Gardens require time and tending, and nature can’t exactly be rushed. However, I believe, that creating a garden you truly care for, can be as rewarding, if not more so, than perfecting any one of the rooms inside your house. Remember, unlike any of your interior rooms, in the garden, the sky truly is the limit.
THE SMALLEST DETAILS CAN GIVE A GARDEN A DISTINCTIVE LOOK THAT REFLECT YOUR PERSONALITY