Bringing the Unexpected to Your Garden
I adore the garden movie Dare to Be Wild. The film tells the story of Mary Reynolds, an Irish landscape designer and youngest winner of a Gold Medal at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2002. Mary’s exhibit encouraged visitors to reconnect with wild nature and featured a moon gate leading down a path to four stone thrones surrounding a fire pit over water. Mary’s exhibit inspired me.
The moon gate, which her character in the movie describes as a “transition from the natural to the spiritual world,” blew my mind. Popular in many cultures, moon gates originated in China, serving as inviting entrances to upper-class gardens. Bermudians have featured moon gates in their architecture since the late 19th century. I am happy to report that Chester County, PA now features a moon gate, and it’s installed in my back yard, where it marks the entrance to my woodland garden and replaces a temporary arch made of twigs. I adore the symbolism of the moon gate and am thankful I was able to find a talented mason, Scott of KM Gardens, willing to make my vision a reality.
Scott had never built a moon gate before, but was excited to take on this once-in-a-lifetime challenge. After a week of stone chiseling and stacking, we were excited for the unveiling. Poised in front of the structure, I began to videotape the reveal as the wooden frame was slowly removed. Unfortunately, the first attempt wasn’t successful, and the grand structure collapsed before our eyes. Pardon the expletives, but as you can imagine, we were shocked and disappointed.
Scott, a true craftsman, regrouped after this disappointment, revisited tutorials on construction, and started over the next morning, making multiple adjustments, including the angle of the stones and the addition of mortar to keep the stabilizing sides from moving. Version two was a success! Now I’m inspiring friends with my moon gate, which has been described as “gorgeous,” “stunning,” “awesome,” and “the coolest thing ever.” I agree on all fronts and am thrilled to enjoy it as an amazing architectural accent to my landscape. I’m pretty sure Scott’s once-in-a-lifetime project is going to become a series of moon gates, as I expect others to request his services. And I’ll continue to share Mary Reynolds’ story and encourage others to invite wild nature into their own gardens.
Repurposing and Reimagining
I love visiting gardens and seek out every opportunity I have to wander through public and private spaces. During a recent road trip through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan, I gained inspiration from many different landscapes. I realized there are often many take-aways from visiting other gardens that can easily be applied to your own oasis.
When life gives you lemons, or an invasive pest like the ash borer, you need to find a way to make lemonade. I was distraught over the 24 ash trees on my property and their pending demise if left untreated. After consulting an arborist, I decided to protect 10 of the trees with regular injections while removing the rest. With the first batch of ash trees removed, I asked Carlos Soler, a family friend and amazing woodworker, to make wooden bowls for me with some of the remnants. Carlos did an amazing job, and I cherish the bowls for their beauty, function, and remembrance.
Of course, I saved some of the wood for firewood and gave a bunch to friends for the same purpose. But I quickly realized only a certain amount of firewood could be used in a reasonable time without most of it rotting. I still had a lot of wood to manage. During a visit to Cape Cod, a couple of years ago, I saw an amazing natural arbor at a local botanic garden. I showed the photos of the arbor to local chainsaw artist Marty Long, who was able to translate my vision into reality with the collected branches. In addition to my arch, which now marks the entrance to my woodland trail and invites guests to meander, Marty made a bench for me, which I enjoy regularly.
The last thing I’ve done with my ash trees is to leave some of them standing about 20 feet tall. This way, they are not a hazard to garden visitors, can easily be taken down from the ground if they become a concern, and can benefit wildlife as they decay. Plus, it’s less expensive to take down a tree partially instead of completely. My point is, when life gives you lemons or an invasive pest like the ash borer, you need to find a way to make lemonade. If you have ash trees that need to be removed, let me know how you are dealing with the issue. I am confident if you look hard enough, you’ll find the silver lining and ways to use that wood that enhances the beauty of your garden, provides ecological benefits, and more.
Solving Problems with Creativity
As a landscape artist, I am often challenged to solve problems, and I welcome the opportunity since I have always loved puzzles. One challenge presented to me was to hide a utility pipe near the driveway. The pipe was one of the first things you saw when you approached the home, and that was not very welcoming. You might think solving this problem was easy, but it wasn’t. There was very little space in front of the pipe, so planting an evergreen to screen the view wasn’t an option. Also, access to the pipe was critical. The solution? A lovely millstone that enhanced the view yet could be rolled out of the way when access was required. And I bet you thought the solution was going to be a plant.
Another challenge existed at a client site where a landscape bed needed a retaining wall of sorts and some definition. The answer here was to add art to the garden in the form of a natural fence. The best part of this solution was that it was free. Next time you are cursing the fallen branches in your yard, think differently. Likely, you can repurpose them into something beautiful and useful. What better way to recycle natural materials?
Junk can be repurposed too. A talented friend of mine, Eric Sternfels, is an expert at repurposing materials into garden art. Not only do his vignettes add charm, character, and focal points to the garden, but they are budget-friendly too. I borrowed that line of thinking from Eric and recently had some birdhouses made with license plate roofs. If I hadn’t used the license plates, they likely would have made their way to the junkyard. If you have a pile of items ready to be donated to charity, evaluate how they might be repurposed before you give them away. You might just find a unique use for something while enhancing your garden space.
The Power of Lighting and Whimsy
Most of us are busy. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’m actually able to relax in my garden and absorb its beauty. By adding interesting lighting to your outdoor space, you can extend the time spent in your garden and further your enjoyment of it. This becomes especially important as days become shorter. Plus, lighting adds an incredible ambience and can enhance your viewing of plant material.
Who doesn’t enjoy laughing? After all, it is one of the best medicines, or so they say. The Hidden Life of Trolls exhibit at the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh made me laugh out loud. Think about ways you can add the unexpected to your landscape and cause a garden visitor to smile as they take in the scenery.
Some gardens are dedicated to sculpture, like the Grounds for Sculpture in New Jersey and the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I believe every garden is enhanced by the addition of a sculpture to create a focal point or invite someone to a certain part of the garden. When looking for a container, don’t always choose the obvious vessel. There are many different objects that make great and interesting containers, such as galvanized buckets or even Dutch wooden shoes.
There is no shame in using someone else’s ideas in your own garden. Go ahead and add some light, whimsy, sculpture, or unique containers to your landscape. Then enjoy your additions and reflect on your travels and the spaces that inspired them. Remember, at A1 Landscape Construction, we’re here to help you bring your garden vision to life, from creative problem-solving to the installation of stunning art and lighting elements. Let’s work together to enhance your landscape with the unexpected.
