An Illusion Of Space

» Jojo - what a great article Jane!

Hi Jane

Your garden room article reminded me of a Rupert Bear story I read as a child, where Rupert and Bill Badger came across a ruined building, across one side of which a wall of ivy had grown, making the entrance invisible. This one image has become very important in my garden making. Rooms in a garden certainly invoke a feeling of wanting to discover. What is behind that door?

My garden is not small (by my standards). I have 1 acre, and 1/4 of it is fenced too keep the deer out. This area is rigorously cultivated and I have several 'rooms' there, one of which is where the chickens hang out. Another one is my blueberry room which I am very proud of now. It really is like a room now, as the Akebia vines have come grown up wires on all sides but one, to make walls. This wall also has a window, which looks into yet another room where tomatoes are generally grown in pots at the edges of a sunny sitting area. I like the way the formality of the house is repeated in this cultivated section, gently moving from completely civilized to completely uncivilized.

Outside the fence, everything changes and I have tried to leave it as is, except for a few foxgloves of different colours added to those who grow wild. It is really perfect in the wild area outside the fence, and interestingly enough, nature has created a few rooms of her own out there.

I love your suggestion of different floor treatments and it is one way of creating spaces and the illusion of change that I had never really considered at all. Thanks for your wonderful insight.

-- posted by Jojo

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» JaneHollis - Re: what a great article Jane!

In response to message posted by Jojo:

Thanks for your kind comments, Jojo. I love the Rupert Bear story - just shows that our gardening inspiration doesn't have to come from horticultural sources.

Your garden sounds really beautiful and I love the idea of gently moving from civilized to uncivilized, and also the window from one room to another. You must have been working really hard to accomplish so much!

-- posted by JaneHollis

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» Carol Wallace - Re: Re: what a great article Jane!

In response to message posted by JaneHollis:
I just had to comment - the "room" idea works to make even a large garden seem bigger. When Gay and the others were visiting early this week they insisted that we must have more than 2 1/3 acres - and they didn't even realize that the bog grassy slope on the other side of the property was ours. But the parts that we are actively gardening are all divided into different rooms - and it really does do the trick.

-- posted by Carol Wallace

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» JaneHollis - Re: Re: Re: what a great article Jane!

In response to message posted by CarolWallace:
Thanks Carol. Mind you, with 2 1/3 acres you don't really have to worry about creating an illusion of space! (Me, jealous, nooo....!!). But, as you say, all gardens whatever the size, benefit from the room idea because it encourages people to explore what is round the next corner, which may not be the case if you can see the whole garden in one glance.

-- posted by JaneHollis

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