What do a cactus, swimming pool and a smoke bush have in common? Keep reading. I want to encourage you see gardens through a designer's eye: going beyond the 'can I grow that?', or in the case of a swimming pool 'that's nice but  don't have/want/need one'.  I promise that in every garden, large or small, from Arizona to Arkansas, and  from San Diego to Scotland you can glean ideas and apply them in your own garden. So in the first of this mini series I want to show you ways to capture light in your garden but let's start with a mini assignment.

Assessing Emotions

Think back to a garden you visited recently. How did it make you feel? Go further than like/dislike. What emotions did it elicit? Calm? Anxious? Happy? Nostalgic? Tense? Can you figure out why? Was it enclosed and that sense of enclosure made you feel anxious? Or maybe you found that nurturing like arms hugging you? Or perhaps the garden was full of bright colors and that brightness made you feel happy? You wouldn't be the first to ask me to design a garden with "happy colors".

My Realization

I have started to design our new-to-us back garden and have spent a lot of time sitting on the back deck overlooking the space – and I realized something. To the left is our swimming pool, now backed by a slim border filled with flowers and foliage. I've taken more than a few photos of that border during the season – but I've also taken multiple snapshots of the shimmery light on the iridescent light when it is illuminated by the evening sun. Directly opposite the deck is a view of a small fishing lake. I could sit for hours watching the sparkles on that water when the light hits it throughout the day, the patterns constantly shifting. At the end of the day the hillside is bathed in gold, defying logic since the trees are green! To the right of the deck is the newly shaped lawn and planting beds. I've got the about 2/3 planted now, the remainder will wait until spring, but I was finally able to set up my glass sculpture again this weekend. At its base I've added some Little Blondie blue grama grass (I've always wanted to try them and this sandy soil should keep them happy). As I was sitting back looking at the finished vignette yesterday I couldn't help but comment on how the light bounced off both the glass spears and the tiny 'eyelashes' of the grasses. Anchoring each corner of that bed is a smoke bush: Old Fashioned to the east and Grace to the west. Their translucent foliage glows when backlit by the morning and afternoon sun. Gorgeous.

The realization? My garden captures light, and I respond to that. It makes me smile. 

Taking it Further

So where does a cactus fit in? Well certainly not in my Greater Seattle garden, but I've often found myself crouching down low to take photographs of the spines of various cacti as they glow in the sun. They are fascinating. Same with a Yucca rostrata which shimmers in the light. I can't grow that either – but both these have taught me to look more closely. That realization helped me become more attuned to the ways I could use light in a garden, not just with silver foliage and white flowers but with reflections, translucent foliage and reflective art. Light elicits an emotion. For me, its a sense of wonder. I find it captivating, and as a designer my mantra is to design gardens that are "experienced, not just observed".

Take Home Ideas

Consider a small bowl or basin of water, placing it where it will capture the light. Design it to reflect the sky, a fern, or a floating glass ball. Add some plants that have translucent foliage. My favorite is the smoke bush – what's yours? Be sure to allow light to penetrate the foliage – don't back it up against a wall or dense evergreens that would block the light. Use shimmery foliage – silver bush Convolvulus cneorum, comes to mind. I'm sure you can think of others- do share in a comment for us all to get ideas! Even a single piece of glass art of a safely-placed mirror can transform a dark space into a light-filled one. And a random one – swim in a lake or the ocean! My favorite swims are those sparkly days when the water looks like a thousand diamonds glinting in the sun and the shafts of light pierce the surface to illuminate the depths so I can see the fish, sea anemones and playful seal!

Want to Learn More?

Listen to a Webinar

My good friend and colleague Dan Benarcik is presenting a webinar for Garden Design on October 8th. He's a phenomenal designer and great speaker. His topic? A Walk Through Chanticleer: Inspiration, Creativity and the Art of Seeing a Garden.  Be sure to register!

Join a Garden Tour

Come with me to San Diego next spring. I promise you'll glean countless ideas as we visit private and public gardens. These are tough conditions which is why we will visit  several private gardens so we can talk to the designers and homeowners and learn from them. Those that wish to can continue the conversation later and we can review what we each learned, how we can apply those ideas – and sympathize with each other when we really wanted to be able to grow that blue agave! Check out the itinerary and get in touch SOON if you'd like to reserve a spot on this popular tour – registration closes THIS WEEK