THE GARDEN & THE DARKNESS OF WINTER

Most of us will face unreal circumstances in our lives. And how we act during the COLD season, will indicate to the world who we are and why we are here. This world is rough and at times unfair. Sometimes Mother nature is so unfair, so unrelenting that we don’t see a need to move forward. Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Landslides, Floods, Wind, Volcanoes, Tsunamis, Pestilence, Diseases and just plain Radiation from the Sun.

We ask: Why me? We beg, we pray and sometimes we disperse.

To cope, we cultivate a garden, either in our mind or on our property. Then something happens and the garden dies along with our hope. The garden may go away, but we can move forward.

I do Dare say that the Garden is very different from the Landscape.

Garden:

Traditionally they are planted with fruits and vegetable. It’s a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. We tend to keep out everything that is not beneficial including other humans and animals, down to the ants. Gardens are cared for, very very closely. They are watered and nurtured to life. Cleaned and manicured. The visitor will stop and stare. The most famous Garden is of course; The Garden of Eden. There are other such as The Hanging Gardens and The Gardens at Filoli.

A garden can be inside of a Landscape.

Landscape:

A landscape refers to the visible features of an area of land, which might include both natural and human-made elements. It encompasses a broader view of the environment, including geology, vegetation, and human structures. A landscape can be completely artificial and it can contain utilities and housing or commercial space.

A Landscape cannot be inside a Garden

• Scope and Size:

  • Gardens are generally smaller in scale and can be part of a backyard, a community space, or even a rooftop. They are often enclosed or have clear boundaries. Take for example the Gardens inside the Palace of Versailles.

  • Landscapes are much larger in scope, often covering vast areas like parks, estates, or even natural regions like mountains or coastlines. They can involve the entire view from a particular vantage point. Take for example the Palace of Versailles.

• Purpose:

  • The primary purpose of a garden can often include aesthetics, food production, relaxation, meditation and protection. Gardens might be themed, such as butterfly gardens, rock gardens, or herb gardens. Anyone can design a private garden.

  • The purpose of a Landscape varies widely, can be to enhance or preserve natural beauty, provide recreational space, manage land use, or to create a harmonious environment between human activity and nature. Landscapes can serve functional (like urban planning) and aesthetic purposes. In the world of Landscape Architecture, the sole purpose of a Landscape Architect is to ensure the public Health, Safety and Welfare AND the protection of the Lands and its resources. ONLY Licensed Professional can produce Construction Plans (more on this in a later blog)

• Elements:

  • Garden elements include plants, flowers, edibles, rich soil, water, features such as paths, bees, sitting areas for viewing or mediation and sometimes small sheds and tools. The focus is on the cultivation of life.

  • Landscapes Include natural features like hills, rivers, forests, and human-made elements like buildings, roads, and parks. The focus is on the integration and interaction between these elements

• Maintenance:

  • Gardens require regular maintenance, daily, like watering, pruning, weeding, and replanting. This maintenance is often intensive due to the concentrated variety and density of plant life.

  • Maintenance of landscapes can range from minimal (in natural settings, hey some people just want to see weeds everywhere) to extensive (manicured parks or estates). It involves broader tasks like land management, conservation, or urban planning, painting, staining, brick restoration, deck clearing, gutters cleaning and so on and on. There real is no such thing as maintenance free landscapes.

• Personalization:

  • Gardens are highly personalized and more intimate spaces where individual creativity and personal taste play a significant role in design and maintenance. Plants change seasonally.

  • While personalization exists in landscape design, it often involves a more collaborative or professional approach, where landscape architects work on projects that might serve public or communal interests. We sometimes have to involve the entire city on the design of a landscape, or the entire state may have a “say” in how a Landscape Design will come to be.

Both gardens and landscapes require an understanding of horticulture, ecology, and design, but they operate on different scales and with different primary objectives.