Five Wisdoms of Garden Design
By Clive Russell, OAA — Inside and Out Garden Design
Garden design in the Western world has been enriched by successive waves of influence from the east. For more than fifty years, Japanese garden design had an enormous impact on how we see our outdoor spaces, and more recently Chinese Feng Shui has begun to affect garden arrangements and relationship to the house and its surroundings. Although one would not think of the snow swept ridges of the Himalayas as a place to learn about gardens, an extremely useful way of relating to garden design has now come to us from that region. Known in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition as The Five Buddha Families, and less literally translated as the Five Wisdoms, it offers a way of organizing and understanding the complex of aesthetic, cultural and practical issues surrounding any design problem.
The principle of the Five Wisdoms is often used in Tibetan Buddhism for understanding one’s relationship to life because it gives expression to the often hidden energetic qualities that exist in any situation, from one’s own personality to the natural world. In that way, it is an ideal medium for creating a garden that satisfies one’s needs. The Five Wisdoms; PASSION, RICHNESS, ACTIVITY, CLARITY, AND SPACIOUSNESS; can act as a kind of checklist that enhances our ability to create beautiful, useful and imaginative gardens.
PASSION is the desire to have a garden in the first place; one’s love and appreciation of the natural world, and the longing to be part of it. In terms of design, it is the principle that creates a sense of invitation- that magnetizes and engages you- that draws you in. It is the skillful design of views into the garden, gateways, arbors and pathways, and creation of a sense of mystery and romance that makes you long to be in the garden. Passion results from the skillful interplay of seduction and reserve. It is a quiet, elegant quality that at the same time suggests wildness and abandon. A garden without passion, without a sense of invitation and love, would be a sad place indeed.
RICHNESS is satisfaction of that longing- providing fullness of experience through colour and texture, earthiness, scents and a sense of place. It is the feeling of hospitality that every successful garden needs to have that is grounded in enjoyment of the present, but which also projects a sense of potential- of ripening, blossoming, continuing on. Richness is created by mounded beds, layers of plantings, yellows and golds, depth and multiplicity of experience that goes beyond one’s ability to take it all in.
CLARITY is found in the distinct ordering of the parts- a sense of sharpness in the garden’s organization, perspectives, and lines. Clarity allows for an intellectual understanding of how the different elements are balanced one to another. Natural landscapes have their own kind of clarity resulting from the forces that created them. In gardens, clarity is often expressed through the man-made structures, and through delineation of paths or the edges of beds, the types of planting, fencing, or repetition of motifs. Clarity is expressed through surface qualities rather than depth- the lines and textures, reflections and directions that define the garden’s shape.
ACTIVITY is associated with the effectiveness of the design in terms of accomplishing its practical functions. How well is it designed in terms of growing conditions for each of the plantings? How easily can it be maintained? How appropriate is the layout in terms of access from one place to another in the different seasons? How well are activities such as dining, play, resting accommodated? How are tools and furniture accommodated? How well integrated is the garden’s design with its environment? How well does it accommodate wildlife- the birds, the bees, the dragonflies, the variety of insects and squirrels and chipmunks, spiders and frogs - the apparent and hidden business that occurs in all seasons everywhere, the teaming qualities of the garden.
SPACIOUSNESS is the container within which the other principles operate. It is the sense of simple accommodation, peaceful receptivity and contentedness that allows the activity of the garden to take place but always within a context of openness and essential timelessness. The physical shape of a garden’s space is an important and often ignored element of garden design. An urban garden is often defined by its fencing as a rectilinear box- finite and so not spacious at all. The designer’s role is to reshape the space so that it has a sense of the infinite- a sense that it can accommodate whatever needs to be accommodated and still feel open and receptive.
Working with these principles can be an enlightening experience. Each of the Wisdoms has its counterpoint- the confused, or inauthentic expression of that particular quality. Just as, in personalities, desire can become neediness, in a garden passion can be expressed as kitsch, schmaltz or cliché; richness as a hopeless jumble; clarity as sterility or obsessive orderliness; activity as function without form; and spaciousness as dull emptiness.
Balancing the qualities with one another, weaving them together in a conscious way, is a powerful antidote to the inauthentic, and the mere examination of a garden design in terms of these qualities provokes awareness of ways in which the inherent wisdoms can authentically be expressed. Different types of gardens will have more or less emphasis on one or another of the principles, giving each garden its own character. An English country garden may emphasize passion and richness, and an urban courtyard clarity and activity, but all qualities must be present and alive in a successful design. The acknowledgement and balancing process that the Five Wisdoms provokes can enrich, clarify, and open up the design process, and help to create a garden that is both passionate and effective.
Get Out of the Box
By Clive Russell, OAA — Inside and Out Garden Design
Roam
With the layout of military camps that later grew into towns and cities, the Romans started a process we now take for granted- the dividing up of urban spaces into rectangular plots. Rectangles are very efficient, easy to record in deeds of ownership, easy to subdivide and fence, and the straight streets that front them are great for getting around quickly, the addressing is logical, and so on. And rectangles (boxes) are easy to build. So here we are, in the box of our house, within the box of our property, somewhere in one of the rows of other boxes. But when we step out the door into our garden, most of us want to get out of the box and into nature- some version or reminder of nature, at least. Our minds, our spirits, our souls need that- softness, complexity, mystery, indeterminacy, free from boundaries and definition. Freedom to roam. Space.
Space
Most discussions of garden design in the slick magazines that have sprung up like gout weed in the past few years are about objects- plants, benches, trellises, decks, paths and patios. The most important element in a garden, though, is space. It may be indicative of our culture that the word space, when applied to our house or garden, has more of a quantitative than a qualitative connotation for most of us (do I have enough space?). A good garden, though, is one that takes you out of the box into the infinite, where amount doesn’t matter. The shape of space, the quality of space, in the garden is far more important than the measurable dimensions. Size may matter for certain functions, some of which can be performed in the garden, under moonlight, in the grass. And for kicking a ball around, putting on a garden party, etc., a certain amount of space is required. But a successful garden is one that feels good to be in- it can be tiny, and it might have started out as a tiny box. In Japan.
Japan
Japanese gardens are renowned for their quality of space. Somehow, through its placement in the very small space of a Japanese garden, a single stone can evoke the infinite. And the vast space of a six tatami garden (about 10ft. by 12ft.) can take you on life changing journeys through meadows, mountain ranges, and streams. Just as often as here, the garden’s boundaries are rigid rectilinear walls or fences. Within that box, though, the arrangement of materials, textures, colors, suggestions made by shape and references to memory, can create worlds. Japanese gardens are often thought of as meditative. Often they do have a quiet, contemplative feeling, and it is that quietude that allows for the sense of space. The nothingness without which nothing could exist is palpable in a well designed Japanese garden. Physically, it is the space between objects, the way the eye is led from one to another and beyond, that creates the sense of mystery and conjecture that takes you out of the box. In a Zen garden simplicity of materials and starkness of arrangement emphasize this process, but even in a lushly planted Japanese garden, skillful techniques are applied to the same end, and can easily be applied right here at home.
Home
The simplest way to get your garden out of the box is to throw a curve at it. Traditionally here in Toronto, a garden consists of a neat rectangle of lawn edged with planting beds along the fence lines. This only emphasizes the boxiness of the lot. Get out of the box. Change the shape of the lawn to an oval, and the energy will begin to flow. Your eye is no longer drawn into the corners (there are none). Just as in a Japanese garden, the space will now seem larger than it is, and far more interesting. The space itself, not only its boundaries, now has a character and presence. Focal points are now a matter of design rather than default- larger trees or shrubs, colorful foliage, a water feature, can all lead the eye and the imagination further.
Another technique of Japanese design is creating layers of visual experience that can give the impression of ’somewhere else’ beyond. An arbor or an island bed within the space creates the sense of another room. An arrangement of rocks, or a small bench under a tree, creates spaces with a particular character, within the larger space. And don’t stop there- look beyond the boundaries of your garden to see not only those features of the neighbourhood that need to be masked with your planting or trellises, but also what can be captured or emphasized in your garden views- a beautiful tree, an interesting rooftop. This is called ‘borrowed scenery’ in Japanese garden design. It is a powerful way to create a sense of space in a small garden, and take it out of the box.
Creating Privacy in the Garden
By Sheree Rasmussen, AOCA — Inside and Out Garden Design
One of the challenges facing urban dwellers today is creating a sense of privacy and enclosure in outdoor spaces without feeling closed in and without offending neighbors. After a hard day out there in the urban chaos we often need to relax, rejuvenate and not have to relate to anyone. The days of complete openness, with just a waist high chain link fence between properties, is gone for good or bad, with most often a 2 metre high pressure treated cookie cutter wood barrier in its place. But there are other solutions than the wooden playpen- ways to feel secluded but not cut off.
1. The first thing to consider is the fencing. Cedar is more natural than pressure treated wood, and ages beautifully. Willow fencing is becoming popular and has a much more “organic” look. Horizontal boards, rather than vertical, increase the sense of space in the garden, rather than chopping it up. Vary the heights according to the views and the overall design. A curved trellis can create a focal point, distracting from unwanted views beyond and breaking up the straight lines of the fence. Instead of fencing all the way around, consider areas of “green fence”, with cedars or other evergreens, not necessarily in a straight line, but grouped in clumps.
2. Find the best place to sit in the garden. Traditionally the patio or sitting area is right up at the house. This may be the most practical solution (not having to walk too far from the kitchen with your martini), but are there other options? Consider pulling the sitting area far enough from the house to create some planting beds between. That way you can surround yourself in greenery, rather than feeling jammed up against a brick wall. What about a sitting area elsewhere in the garden? If you take a chair and just experiment with sitting in different spots in the garden, considering the views, and the feeling you have, you’ll be surprised. There’s usually a great little area somewhere you hadn’t thought of where you can put a table or bench and make it really private.
3. Use trellises to block unsightly views. If you’re tired of looking at the neighbor’s laundry on the line or staring right into their kitchen window, a decorative trellis, solidly built and well placed can be very useful. If you’re building it within your property line the 2 metre high rule doesn’t apply, and you can make it much higher, though it’s usually best to consult with your neighbour first. Even if what you’re trying to obscure is higher than the trellis, it will work anyway. Having something attractive in the foreground takes the focus and attention off what’s in the background.
4. Plant as much greenery as possible. The traditional lawn with a few shrubs around the sides is being replaced with ground covers, shrubs, and pathways of flagstone or bark chips. If you have grass yard now, you might want to keep some of it, but re-think how much flat surface you really need. Obviously with kids and dogs you need area to kick the ball around, but otherwise you could replace much of it with low maintenance ground covers, shrubs and trees. This allows your privacy creating elements to be elsewhere than simply on the perimeter of the garden. When planting for privacy, consider what heights you need. For ex. If there’s a huge apartment building behind you, planting a fast growing deciduous tree that will eventually have a high, and extensive crown, might be your best bet. For privacy around your sitting area, some mid-size shrubs can do the trick. And if you want to look out your window in the winter, and just see green, rather than buildings, plant some mid to large size evergreens.
5. For acoustic privacy, the bulk and density of evergreens such as cedar, junipers and hemlock is very effective, as is a water feature or pond. Whether it’s a full scale pond and waterfall or just a small bowl or wall mounted feature, the soothing natural rhythms of moving water can mask and distract from all kinds of nerve jangling noise- the neighbor’s air conditioner, the busy street- even the general hum of the city.
Remember that good fences make good neighbours. All of these solutions can enhance their garden as much as your own. Be sensitive to their needs for sun and to the view from their side, and you’ll be able to live side by side in harmony.
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