There are many sources of inspiration for us when it comes to how we live our lives. Some of those who inspire us are people we know, and have seen doing wonderful things in real time – others are people we do not know – who we read about or see through various media channels.
Music has always been a big part of my life – helps me relax – a resilience tool in times of pressure – a source of pleasure to see a band live. Since I listened to “Communication Breakdown” at my cousins house way back when, I have been a huge fan of Led Zeppelin. Outwith listening to specific songs I have found the career of Robert Plant inspirational. As well as being phenomenally successful as part of this rock behemoth he has continued to develop and expand his musical reach through song writing, solo career, collaborations and ensembles.Whilst it would have been easy to sit back on the laurels of his early success he has continued to enrich his life (and that of all his fans). This desire to do new things is something, in a much humbler way, I hope to bring to my and my family’s lives.
So when designing a new garden it is easy to fall back on things you like and have done before. In this garden I wanted to be stretched and do something new – something a little bit scary. The woodland walk is that feature. Not only is it new to me – and I will make mistakes- but it is also a large area. It is visible from every part of the house. It has to work in its own right but it also has to work with the other features that sit in front of it. Spatial harmony is called for and this is not my strong point.
Fortunately, CP and myself can call on the eye of our daughter Mads. She has helped in the positioning of a number of garden features. The juxtaposition of the crevice garden to the Japanese garden – positioning key features in the woodland walk – the layout of the Japanese maples as you walk from the crevice garden to the woodland path – positioning of garden “ statuary”. With her eye there is a much better flow through the garden. Her contribution has not been limited to the garden – working with CP – the pair of them decided on the fittings and accessories inside the house – to great effect.
Gardening can be a satisfying solo activity but is much more pleasurable if there is a degree of collaboration- and the end result ( if there is such a thing) will be much better.
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