It's all about scale and proportion

Working on project 3 I realised how difficult it is to adjust my brain to a larger plot. We have 4 acres to fill and make look artistically beautiful. And not to forget: blend the building into nature which seems to be mission impossible.
By strolling through the internet I found a great scale project: "Little people left in the city to fend for themselves" by London Artist Slinkachu started in 2006.

 

The unwanted ones, Westferry, London, 2008

  

They're no pets, Susan- Primrose Hill, London, 2007

You can get the greatest shots in a book through Amazon. Have fun and watch out when you walk through the city, you might see some weird little things...

Shop of the Month

On my way to the OCGD masterclass with award winner Andy Sturgeon in St. Hugh's Oxford yesterday (which was great- we finally looked at gardens again, no technical drawings ;-) ) I passed a beautiful little shop in North Parade, Oxford: THE TOWN GARDEN.
Steve, former Marketing Manager at British Airways, decided that there was not enough balance in his life and started to do what he loved and developed this beautiful and healthy concept.

It is small, it is cute and it is full of things that make you want them, including fresh veggies from farmers max.20miles around, or products produced by friends and family.

If you need a gift- that is the place to go. And if you are hungry- there are some nice pubs around too. 

Definitely worth a visit!

Winter Wonderland

late January at Lake Starnberg, Germany

It's hard work to make people enjoy life. JEAN TINGUELY

Some people always want what they don't have.
A lot of people either live in the past or future.
Most people very rarely enjoy the present.

Lighting

If you get your garden designed you might want to enjoy your garden all year around and all hour around. Using light will help to add another dimension to the enjoyment of outdoor living. It adds another character and can make your garden look completely different during night times.

When you are thinking about (re-)designing, think about lighting too and preverable at the beginning of the poject so you don't have to make compromises at the end.
With everything else "less is more" also applies to the topic of lighting. Do not try to light everything, leave some areas of mystery to make your garden exciting and dramatic.

And for all people that think about environmental issues, luminaires from HUNZA landscape lighting (made in NewZealand) operate on low watt. A luminaire with a 20watt lamp works on a lower and safer temperature, uses 60% less energy and is therefor cheaper to operate plus requires low maintenance and lasts longer.

Would you like to get more information? Contact the Oxford College of Garden Design for their Masterclasses or John Marriott of "Lighting for Landscapes Ltd."