Piggy's Favorite Playground (Part II)
Please note: Thank you for visiting my Cottage Garden topic and reading my columns, published here from February 1997 through spring 2003! This Cottage Garden column was written by Barbara M. Martin and is Copyrighted, including any photos, by Barbara M. Martin. It may not be altered or copied or published elsewhere in whole or in part without specific permission from the author. I regret I am no longer actively editing or contributing to this suite101.com topic as of mid-2003. Happy Gardening!
Last week we began our visit to the Children's Play Area created as a memorial to the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Needless to say, Piggy (flying pig and pocket-sized tacky yard art hero) was captivated and so was I.
Children are instantly attracted to this play area but adults enjoy visiting the garden time and again too. First of all it is a soothing, pleasant and attractive place to be, not surprising since it is set on the edge of the lovely and spacious Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park.
Beyond that general setting, the play area's special features provide for a grown up's visual interest as well as tactile appeal. The garden engages all our senses. The rustling ornamental grasses, scented roses and even the picnic-friendly lawn invite us to pause and savor and connect on an intimate level with the outdoors, to forget we are in fact deep in the city. Of course these aspects appeal to everyone, old and young alike.
A tranquil contemplative space within the confines of this wild and boisterous adventure garden
But adults may be more aware of some of the garden's more subtle features. For instance, although the garden is still new, the plant palette includes selections such as deciduous trees and shrubs with wonderful fall color and varying bloom seasons, favorite perennials and ornamental grasses and special hip-forming roses to enhance and highlight the seasonal changes and provide interest all year long. The many trees and numerous high performance shrubs will make this very apparent once once they have had some time to grow and mature.
So too, the garden's bones or hardscape will continue to please throughout the year thanks to the different textures underfoot, use of varying materials for structural elements such as natural twigs for fencing (see last week's photo), and the intriguing placement of sculptures and inviting play spaces and dual use accents such as tepees -- as well as the commanding presence of the pirate ship and the "dizzying" heights and visual barriers created by the engineered bluffs near it. The proportions and scale are very human-oriented throughout, so one feels immediately very comfortable and at ease by virtue of a subconscious sensation of well being.
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