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Garden
Design
*Statement*
So many lives are lived imperfectly, we
all have to learn to create a home for
ourselves in an imperfect world; the
garden reawakens the drive to perfection,
creating an urge to structure and shape.
To design is to travel inwards; it is the
creation of an inner-space, turning one's
back to the over riding backdrop of
reality: the tall skies, the large
mountains, the continuous interplay of
contrasting shapes and colours.
Within the chaos that is the garden space,
I endeavour to create small pockets of
structure.
About gardens and
gardening on Achill Island, at the edge of the Atlantic:
"The main thing is this: creating shelter from the ocean
wind. Young plants, trees and shrubs from our own
nursery are often more resilient when faced with the
climate conditions here on Achill; a lot of the
continental plants do seem to need some time to get
settled in.
It practically never freezes, giving free rein to
experiment with species that would not stand a chance in
the Midlands; a lot of the plants in this garden are not
really frost prone.
The
Achill landscape is a stereotypical example of the
environment natural to healthy, acidic soil; thus we are
blessed with an abundance of rhododendrons and a
prolific number of other acid-loving plants. Most
flora takes well here; sometimes it’s too wet though –
something to watch for in winter."
(taken
from an interview with Willem about art and garden
design by Gordon Ledbetter published in “Compass” (issue
36, spring 2006):
To get a specific design for your
garden, I first have to know the size of the garden,
your
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