Places to be and places to do

Places to be and Places to do

Taking time to organise the spaces on your site is a helpful way to understand how you might live in and move through them.

You can begin to address the question of how you live in your garden can be addressed by identifying the places you want to simply 'be' still and quiet in, and the places you want to actively 'do' things in. Once a role has been assigned to these spaces, you can start to consider which materials you might want to use; the furniture you could introduce; or the size of space you require to fulfil the role you have in mind.

Getting the bones of your garden right

Resolving the practicalities that you will have noted in your brief provides you with the 'skeleton' of your garden, as they will start to form the specific 'places' within your design, as well as flag the areas where pathways are required.

• The 'skeleton' should be kept simple, and directly answer your practical needs.
• Function is paramount, so take time to refine your bone structure. The aesthetics are secondary and will be layered over the top.
• Ensure the sizing of each element is generous enough and allow space for things to grow over; for example, we made our steps 3m wide to accommodate growth on either side.

Spend time learning about your space

• There will be many elemental forces at play in your garden that will directly impact where you want to create your places, and the bone structure of your garden.
• Which way does the wind blow? We have a south-westerly wind, which impacted where we built our kitchen garden.
• In which direction does the sun move across your garden? Which parts receive sunlight in the morning, and which in the evening? This may help you decide which places to eat or relax in, and at which times of day.
• Is there a position in your garden where there is a particularly magical view? How might you make the most of this?
• What is the topography of your space, and how might this impact the way you move through it? Our paths meander down and follow the natural journey towards the ditch. How might you transition from one space to another?
• The seasons are hugely impactful on any garden. Think about how to make the areas of your garden work in each season. Pacing your planting is a good way to draw out the narrative.

Organising your site

• Another key aspect to consider when deciding on where your places will be, is where you will actually need access to them, as well as the ease of getting to them.
• A herb garden, for example, is best placed right next to your kitchen, so you can use it easily and quickly while cooking.
• Areas visited less frequently can be placed further away to create a 'ripple effect' away from the buildings, with the most intensively used areas at the centre. It's well worth taking areas of shelter into account, too, as you organise your space.
• The journey to and from each place should be both meaningful and delightful. How could the experience of the journey heighten the overall atmosphere of the garden?

Productive places vs. ornamental places

In any garden, there should be a balance between places you go to 'do' (the 'productive' areas), and places you go to 'be' (the more 'ornamental' areas).

• Places you want to be might need to serve you throughout the season. Where might be the best place overall? Or you may want to create a place to be in a specific season - perhaps a beautiful blossom to sit beneath in spring.
• The location should be directly informed by the sun's movements and the direction of wind; areas of shelter will impact it too.

Japanese gardens

I find Japanese stroll gardens hugely inspiring. They take you on a subtle but deliberate journey, with each twist and turn carefully designed to ignite the senses.

Elements of Japanese gardens to consider

• Movement
• Pacing
• Picture gardens
• Storytelling
• Secrets and surprises
• Discover more

Further Reading

For a deeper understanding of Japanese gardens, Sophie Walker's book 'The Japanese Garden' is an excellent source. You can order it here.

Places to be and places to do

Getting to know the elemental and topographical features of Hillside directly impacted my choices in situating the places that we outlined in our brief, and also helped me decide on the journeys between them.

| Observation | Response |

|-------------|----------|

| Topographical line that runs through the middle | Kept the flat route to create a spine with the house in the middle and the barn at the end |

| Shelter between barn and house | Optimum space to grow a kitchen garden, which was part of our original brief |

| Vast, unspoilt views from the house | Put growing areas to the side of the house, to make sure the views weren't interrupted |

| The ditch | This became a natural gateway into wilder landscapes |

| Energising feeling at the top, and more still at the bottom | Productive areas the top, more spaces to reflect at the bottom |

Your Assignment

Note down where and how each of the elemental forces are at play in your garden, and then match them to the 'places' in your brief that might work best there. You may use the graph paper on the following page to start to draw out the bone structure of your garden accordingly.

| Observation | Criterion from your brief |

|-------------|---------------------------|

| Which way does the wind blow? | |

| Which areas receive sunlight, and when? | |

| Where is the best view? | |

| Do you have any topography to contend with? | |