Monday, November 25, 2013

Garden Designers' Roundtable: Journey

To journey through a garden is one of life's great pleasures; the rustle of tall grasses swaying in the breeze and tickling the palms of your hands, the fragrance of flowers calming your mind, and the visual interplay of colors, forms, and textures is always engaging.  The "circulation corridors" throughout your landscape can be designed specifically to slow down your journey and allow you to enjoy all that your landscape has to offer.

The shortest — and quickest — distance between two points is a straight line.  This is great for small spaces or when a high volume of traffic is common.
The short span between the public sidewalk and private residence in Telluride (designer unknown) with  beautiful stone veneer paving.
A wide, smooth surface is safe and efficient for heavy use. The rose pergola in the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew, Great Britain.
One way to slow down your journey is to throw it a curve.  Create a bit of a detour that will encourage your brain to downshift and readjust to a new (garden) experience.
A slower, more enjoyable walk to the front door than the straight alternative, no? (In Denver, CO, designer unknown.)
Bravo to the (unknown) designer for this beautiful, curving stairway in Wheat Ridge, CO — a much more pleasant journey than a straight flight of stairs would offer!
While you're at it, add some height.  This not only reinforces the intent of the curved design (No straying off the path allowed, thank you very much!), but it creates a situation called gradual realization.  When you can't see what's coming around the curve, you tend to slow down a bit while at the same time being pulled forward by the intrigue — humans are awfully curious animals, after all.
My backyard in Wheat Ridge, CO features an active pathway of turf that curves and disappears behind a berm.
This curved, side yard path by Adrienne Brewer in Denver, Colorado, makes for a pleasant journey.
Here's another trick:  make it rough.  Or narrow.  Or crowded.  When your footing is just a little unsteady and each step becomes a conscious act, you will absolutely slow down and enjoy the journey.
This beautifully crafted "river bed path" in the Asian gardens at Denver Botanic Gardens is stunning to look at and creates a noticeable sensation on the feet.
A stone foot bridge in the Japanese garden at the Albuquerque Botanical Gardens in New Mexico, requires a bit of attention if you want to stay dry.  And say, what's beyond that bend?

My side yard garden in Wheat Ridge, CO, is stuffed to the gills.  passage through this garden is definitely slow going.
This rough, curving pathway designed by homeowner Holly Finiau fits all of the criteria for a beautiful garden journey.
Gardening is the epitome of slow living, and life is all about the journey.  Enjoy more posts on this topic by my fellow Roundtable Members here:



All photos by © Jocelyn H. Chilvers.



Tuesday, November 19, 2013

It's Not Too Soon . . .

To start winter watering! I spent the afternoon dragging the hose and sprinkler around my backyard. Here's a recent article from the CSU Extension Service that describes why it's so important, how and when to do it.

An owl-eye type sprinkler delivers a lot of water quickly.
The water I applied today will have plenty of time to soak in before our little snow storm arrives later this week.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Wednesday, November 06, 2013

In the Garden Now


Are you a year-round gardener? Do you strive to find things to do in your yard even as the plants are going dormant and the cold wind blows?  Here are a few suggestions — and a little link love — for activities that are perfect for the  November gardener.

Plant bulbs!  It's the perfect time to get those spring blooming beauties in the ground.  For inspiration, check out Deborah Silver's tips on her blog Dirt Simple (nobody does it better!).  You should still be able to purchase bulbs locally, but you might enjoy perusing the offerings from Brent and Becky's Bulbs, too.  Their catalog is packed full of interesting plants and helpful information.

Take care of your stuff. My November Rocky Mountain Gardener's Checklist on Houzz focuses on winterizing your valuable pots and tools.

Schedule a tree pro. Do your trees or large shrubs need to be pruned? Find a Certified Arborist via the International Society of Arboriculture - Rocky Mountain Chapter.  These are the folks that have been trained in tree health management and how to work safely in dangerous situations.

Visit a display garden.  Once deciduous plants have shed their leaves it's easier to focus on their other characteristics, like interesting or colorful bark, persistent fruit (more color!) or a striking form.  Evergreens come into play more strongly now, too.  Make observations and notes for additions to your own landscape, or just enjoy an invigorating walk.  Some of my favorites are Kendrick Lake Park (a fabulous xeriscape and natives garden), The Gardens on Spring Creek (lots of ideas for veggie lovers), and Denver Botanic Gardens (something for everyone!).