Clever use of colour in planting design

I just saw this image on Facebook from Gamble Garden and have fallen in love with the planting scheme. I recently spoke to Karl about writing reports on gardens to get into the habit to evaluating design and planting and really look at the composition of what makes the garden good, so I saw this photo and thought it would be a good place to start. I realise my plant ID is woefully lacking as I'm not sure I can name anything here with certainty, so i'll focus on the colour, form and shape.

So, my overall impression of this image was one of calmness and a sense of seclusion, and my eye was instantly drawn to the burgundy shrubs opposite each other on the pathway because they are unexpected. I'm not entirely sure what they are, possible berberis (?). My first thought was that this is a white garden with highlights of burgundy and then I started seeing the other hints of colour, there are pale pinks and blues in there as well. Punctuated by the solid and plump dark green conifers to provide a rest between the colours and fine texture of the small flowers. I note there are three of them in a row, being the magic number. These are framed again by more solid burgundy peeping up behind the dark green, acting like a roof to the design, steering the eye back down by way of the glaucous shrub in front, whereas a lighter tree would continue to draw the eye up and away.
The dark green is echoed in the smaller topiaries sitting on the angles of the path - almost acting like subtle punctuation for the change of direction.
The flamboyant big white rose is clearly meant as the center of attention as the biggest, brightest flower, it says 'Look at Me!' and has no equal contender. My first impression of it being a white garden come from this but on second glance little else is white - the main focal point really does set the scene in a design! The burgundy supports the rose but recedes next to it, and the row of daisies are merely the chorus line supporting the main act, necessary though they are. These daisies are steering the journey through the garden, and they want you to follow, but the soft and abundant spray of flowers isn't in a hurry like a more solid block of colouring would be. This is a garden in which to linger.
The big buddleia (?) adds more height and emphasis on the seclusion, but it feels like the full stop barrier before a different garden continues behind in different shades of pale yellow not belonging to this garden. The subtle blues helps highlight the glaucous colour of it's neighbour and supports the small blue flowers in the foreground, and I imagine more on the other side of the path that we cannot see. The small pinks in the foreground also are supporting colours to the burgundy and just soft enough to add to the overall effect of the garden without contending to attention. A bigger, brasher pink would have been too strong and confused the design.

I suspect this scene will look much different in another season, though there are a few evergreens in there to keep its structure intact.

I find this garden very pleasing to look at and certainly well designed.

Spirit, Science and Art

I just bought Bev McConnell's books from Ayrlies. I'm only 20 pages in so far, but had to stop to write this note. She said that to create a good garden you have to use a combination of these three principles:

1 - find out the spirit of the place, what does it want to be, what is sympathetic to the natural surroundings and environment.
2 - use science.  Where do plants come from, what is their natural environment, how do they grow and why
3 - now use art to put these plants together. Create artistic compositions within the architecture of the landscape.

And most importantly, a garden is never finished. It is constantly evolving and changing.

Design for Contemplation

http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/city-parks-design-calming-brain

Just read this article about how the design of garden spaces has an influence over entering a contemplative state.

Of three urban spaces evaluated the common elements included:
- Panoramic vistas with long-distance views (more than 400 meters).
- Large empty spaces
- Natural asymmetry
- Clearings and stimulation to look at the sky.

The least contemplative settings, by contrast, usually lacked these features, and instead had characteristics such as paths and enclosed spaces (as in small pocket gardens).

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I find the psychology of garden spaces interesting and important to how we shape our environment. Having a contemplative space is important for those times when relaxing and taking time out is essential. However, a varied amount of stimulation is needed for other times. A garden can also make you feel invigorated if surrounded by colour, or adventurous by exploring hidden areas and discovering little gems. Each space can bring a different emotion, and you want different spaces for each mood. Like listening to music, sometimes classical music is needed to sooth, when other times heavy rock is perfect for an adrenaline rush. Having a contemplative space should be just one of the many moods of the garden.

Succulents

I really like the arrangement of these succulents, the red flower spikes and the roundness of the prickly pear makes a fun combination.