My garden odyssey: Geometric Japanese

EPISODE XXI

If you were to walk through our garden, you would notice there are very few — actually I can't think of any — matched pairs. No lollipop lilacs on either side of a gate; no allees of trees marching in step. We have asymmetrical pairs like the Turtle and Buddha mounds behind our pond. We have clipped curving hedges and a row of Yew balls. We like rounded forms and curving lines, but too much of that can make a garden — and the gardener — dizzy. And it can make a garden seem unrelated to the square and rectangular volumes of the house it surrounds. 

As we refined the areas adjacent to our pond — adding a flight of steps, burying the utilities — we were faced with tying the house and its large expanse of deck to the pond. We also needed to add a step leading from the deck down to the ground level and then connecting to a path out into the garden — on three sides of the deck. It was all rather a no-man's land as you can see from the photo above.

(Illustration removed at request of the publisher).

JULIE MOIR MESSERVY / OUTSIDE THE NOT SO BIG HOUSE

We were stymied until I remembered an image from a garden designed by our favorite, Julie Moir Messery. It had a square of grass that was tilted on its axis — surrounded by gravel and cut stone pavers — leading out into the greenery. The image above shows Messervy's plan for the garden with what she calls the "lawn panel." Below is a view of that plan in its three-dimensional reality. 

Messervy used the phrase "geometric Japanese" in talking about her design for this property in "Outside the Not So Big House." She noted that garden — "while Japanese in spirit" — was designed "using distinctly un-Japanese forms: circles, squares and S-curves."  

JULIE MOIR MESSERVY / THE INWARD GARDEN

Because Messervy's inspiring image is viewed from above, I suddenly visualized our garden from above and saw Messervy's idea as an obvious solution to our situation. I suggested we adapt that concept for our space. We designed a grass square to look as though it was growing under the deck but had been given a twist so only its corner points were visible. These photos, taken from the roof of our house, put it all in context.

Now we had a living square of green coming off our man-made deck, tying house and garden to each other at ground level. A series of bluestone pavers lead from the geometric square of grass to the asymmetrical hill and black stepping stone "stairs." 

Cutting through the grass square, parallel to the edge of the deck, is the Nobedan path: a long rectangle composed of individual stones asymmetrically positioned. This is one of the more traditional Japanese elements we used in our garden design.

For previous episodes about the design of our garden, click on My Garden Odyssey in the categories list. Click on the photos of our garden to enlarge them so you can see the details. 

Comments

[Lisa at Greeenbow]

Well done. I love the way you used different step material to lead one into the path. I always find that so inviting. I want to find out what else might change and into what?? Happy Earth Day. You are certainly managing your property into a magnificent area of earth. I love that it is so cohesive yet not formally so.

[Mr. McGregor's Daughter]

Your garden designs are such an inspiration. Design is not my strong suit, so I really appreciate these wonderful, information posts.

[Pam/Digging (Austin)]

I like your lawn panel. What is the edging material you used for it?

[LINDA from EACH LITTLE WORLD]

Pam — that is more of the recycled limestone window frames we got when we lived at the other house. You can see more pix on the Odyssey: Do it yourself or do without.

[Roby@ shed plans]

What a great looking garden you have there, I like the design, the grass square specially, as well as the path ways. Great place to relax and so neat.