When planning a garden, think of the view beyond
As you plan the design of your garden, consider a bonus that’s often overlooked: the view beyond.
“Our lines of sight don’t stop at the property line,” said Julie Janoski, Plant Clinic manager at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, who is also a garden designer. “If we make use of what’s in the background instead of blocking it out, it can enrich the experience of our own gardens.”
The concept of “borrowed views” has a long history in landscape design, she said. Grand European estates often were arranged to capture expansive vistas from stately homes across fields, hills, woods and villages, far beyond the estate boundaries. Today, subdivisions are built around golf courses for the same reason.
The idea also applies on average city or suburban lots. “The neighbors’ landscapes are a free bonus that can expand the view from your own,” she said. “If there’s something nice to look at, think about how you can frame that view and use it.”
If your next-door neighbor is a great gardener with lovely rose bushes, enjoy them. If there’s a magnificent tree in the yard next door, rejoice in it. If there’s a park or an interesting building across the street, think of ways to enjoy that view from your own space.
Many homeowners erect a high, solid fence or hedge to enclose the entire yard. “Sometimes you need a fence, to contain children or dogs or to block something unpleasant,” Janoski said. “But often, a fence can cost you a lovely view and make your yard feel less spacious.” Research in environmental psychology has shown that most people are most comfortable in a semi-open landscape.
What about privacy? “We all need privacy, but we don’t necessarily need to live behind walls,” she said. “We can be more selective about what we block out. The most attractive gardens have a balance between seclusion and openness.”
Think through where you really need privacy and where you can be more open to your surroundings. For example, you may want to plant evergreens or other shrubs to screen the bathroom window, but not enclose the whole backyard in an arborvitae hedge. A solid fence might be the solution to an intrusive neighbor or an annoying dog on one side of the yard, but not on the side with the view of roses.
You may choose to create a private refuge in a small space while leaving other areas more open. A few trees or a cluster of shrubs might create a secluded spot to drink your morning coffee.
Screening can be seasonal. “A planting of ornamental grasses or a mixed bed of tall perennials that die back in winter may be enough to screen the patio if you only eat outside in the summer,” she said.
Carefully chosen plants can create semitransparent barriers. If you use shrubs with a variety of shapes and sizes, there will be gaps that let in the view. A mixed planting of evergreens and deciduous trees or shrubs will be more see-through in winter than in summer.
As you work on your landscape plan this winter, make notes about what is around your property as well as on it. Think not just about what you’d like to screen out but about what you’d like to be able to see.
“In many of our communities, the neighbors have lovely gardens we can take advantage of,” Janoski said. “We can enjoy the best part of other people’s landscapes.”