Embrace uneven landscapes, advises garden designer James Alexander-Sinclair. Those lumps and bumps are the perfect excuse for installing the steps of your dreams.
In the immortal words of Led Zeppelin: ‘There’s a lady who’s sure / All that glitters is gold / And she’s buying a stairway to heaven.’ I have always imagined this staircase to be something that sashays seductively as it disappears into the cumulonimbus; it is made of fine limestone carved with mythical creatures and entwined with exotically scented flowers. One thing is for sure, this is no paltry indoor arrangement, but the spiffiest set of garden steps ever.
There are very, very few gardens without steps, even if it is only one step down from threshold to terrace. This is because the world is not, thank goodness, universally level. There will always be dips and drops, hills and hollows as we attempt to landscape our gardens to our convenience. Steps, more than any other hard landscaped feature in our gardens, have the ability to be so many things. They can be discreet and modest, coquettish, extravagant, sweeping or narrow,but whatever style you choose they all have to work. It is the perfect example of form following function: no matter how pretty a step might be, it is no use if it doesn’t get you up the hill.
この記事は Gardens Illustrated の April 2017 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Gardens Illustrated の April 2017 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Field of Dreams - The naturalistic gem Hans Gieszen has created in former meadowlands near Utrecht in the Netherlands is the culmination of a lifelong passion
Ever since his mother gave him seeds as a small boy, gardening has been a passion for Hans Gieszen. He is completely self-taught, relying on garden visits and books for instruction, with one book in particular, Dream Plants for the Natural Garden by Henk Gerritsen and Piet Oudolf, influencing his style. “It was fascinating,” says Hans, remembering his first encounter with the book. “All those photos – pictures with mists and these tall and low plants and grasses. I realised I couldn’t do it in my small garden, but I kept dreaming and reading about it.”
WORLD OF POSSIBILITY
This superb tour of the world's botanical gardens highlights their vital role in saving the planet's flora, says Claire Masset
THE FEMININE TOUCH?
Does your garden have masculine or feminine style, and does it even matter? Head gardener Benjamin Pope unpicks gardening's gender stereotypes
'If you emulate nature, you're on to a winner'
Gardener, television presenter and author Carol Klein talks about her new book, the books she loves, her current challenges and what she's up to next
FRIENDLY ADVICE
When tasked with creating a garden for her friends, designer Neive Tierney found the project came with challenges - not least the need to include a wheelchair ramp and squeeze in a saltwater swimming pool
Passing the baton
The celebrated nursery and garden at Marchants Hardy Plants in East Sussex is now being managed by a new team, who continue to inspire visitors with innovative planting
My sweet gourd
Clark Lawrence, an American living in the heart of Italy's pumpkin province, loves growing different cultivars of pumpkins and ornamental gourds for their sweet flavours and fabulous looks
ANDY JASPER
The new CEO of the Eden Project on his excitement about a new chapter, the legacy he's left at the National Trust and his joy at heading home to Cornwall
Bedding in
In just under nine years, the owners of Arvensis Nursery in Wiltshire have created a mature garden that displays their high-quality perennials
Late summer dreams
From cool pastels and foliage to hot colours, designer Jo Thompson creates three stylish container combinations for autumn