Snippets from the Garden Show Part 2

AQL's "Food for Thought"

As I review my photos of the show gardens I have been trying to analyse what it is that I find appealing about the following two gardens. I am of the opinion that a garden should create a space in which one feels that the only thing possible to do is surrender to a sense of wellbeing and relaxation. This of course does not necessarily mean falling into the nearest lounging chair with book and glass of wine (or cup of tea) in hand but may mean puttering about pulling weeds. However you achieve it relaxation should be an inevitable result of spending time in the garden.

Some gardens I find are more likely to bring about this state than others.

I think the success of the garden below by Daniel Tyrrell is related to its very simple geometry. Of course this only really works in a small or courtyard garden but there are plenty of us with those. Circles. What a great idea. Vertically, horizontally and on different planes. There is also a very narrow use of materials - steel and concrete. The plant palette is focused on texture rather than colour leaving us with delicious greens.




I also liked this garden designed by AQL. I think this is also a reflection of the strong geometry and use of colour. In this case I loved the use of the autumnal colours both in the planting, the wine bottle wall, the decking and furniture. The geometry of the design is very strong, the long rectangle of the site mirrored in the long boardwalk and given an upright expression in the strong verticals of the Maples (Acer plantanoides 'Crimson Sentry').

I can't help but thinking they might have seen the work of Joost Baaker .... imitation being the best form of flattery. Not sure those apples would last long in the Australian heat espaliered against the galvanised water tanks either! Looks lovely though.

Garden Design in times of Recession

"The Greenhouse by Joost" Installation Summer 2008/2009

More than 5 years ago now I submitted my doorstop of a Masters thesis which analysed the subject matter of garden columns in British newspapers from 1900 - 2000 and examined why their primary focus was on plants and gardening and not on Garden Design. It emerged that over time what had influenced subject matter was socio-economic - a huge influence being World War I and II and the economic privations that occured around them.

Pre-war, between World War I and II and from 1990 articles on Garden Design became much more prolific. So the question has arisen - now the recession has hit will the trend swing back towards the more practical garden? I think the answer is probably yes. I don't think design will die a complete death but I suspect people will focus more on the design of vegetable gardens, sustainable gardens, permaculture gardens and the like.

Prior to our economic dive people were already considering the use of their land based on environmental considerations. Global warming has had an impact on the way people think and here in Australia drought has highly influenced thinking. Even the bushfires have had an effect - people seem to be re-considering what they need in their lives and I would suggest that the thinking that led to the rise of the "outdoor kitchen" is on the wane.

I've noted that on free-to-air television we are now down to about one program a week on garden makeovers. The stalwart "Gardening Australia" on ABC remains and this program has always had a very strong gardening and food producing focus as well as looking at design. Newcomers to the block include "Guerrilla Gardeners" but this is about improving our collective environment through garden design as opposed to the individual.

Prior to Christmas at Melbourne's Federation Square there was an installation by Joost Bakker"The Greenhouse" a cafe and bar designed as a temporary construction made entirely from recyclable materials. I think Mr Bakker has hit the nail on the head with his installation as I think it very accurately reflects where many people's thinking is headed not only in terms of less impact on our environment but now also with considerations of budget.



Certainly anecdotally I have found a lot of people are installing vege gardens despite the difficulty of water restrictions. I have recently joined the group "Permablitz" which sees groups of people getting together and providing the labour to turn people's gardens into productive permaculture gardens.

This week from Wednesday is Melbourne's International Flower and Garden Show - while no doubt there will be the usual array of horticultural displays, materials, plants and associated paraphernalia I hope that it will also reflect some of the aforementioned currents. In the past it has addressed drought and water conservation issues. Displays may not be the cutting edge there but they certainly reflect ideas that are catching onto the mainstream. While this is a difficult time for many I do think that adversity is often the mother of creativity. No doubt I shall post my findings.

Greenhouse Chair