Thursday, December 19, 2013

Framed Garden Views


It was a busy day around the Horticulture Center as the Grumpies worked on a wide range of projects.  Pat had work out in the gardens including more pruning and some Holiday Lights Show (HLS) tweaks.  Don't forget that the HLS resumes tonight and has nine more nights.  Urban continued pruning efforts near the Horticulture Center with a focus on all the suckering that we see annually on our crabapples (Malus).  Dr. Gredler was in for painting containers while Maury and Ron Y. did a nice job continuing our significant priming needs for our still "top secret" carpentry project(s).  Dave, Vern and Jim continued their carpentry projects.  Bill O. was in to help Larry with some projects and Janice worked on various tasks this morning.  We also saw Rollie, Ron W. and many others.  I continue to check out catalogs and am prioritizing my projects for 2014.

This blog features lots of photos that exhibit a "framed view" out in the garden.  Keep in mind that a literal "framed view" of our garden is created with every window.  However, additional "frames and windows" out in the gardens can direct the eye to additional color, a focal point, "borrowed scenery" and can certainly help encourage movement in to a new space or towards a visible destination.  The "framing" can consist of fencing, trellising, plantings and/or other hardscaping combinations.  Granted, many of these photos feature costly structures, the concept is still sound for creating a dynamic garden and helping the viewer enjoy a certain feature, vignette or garden element.  The photo above was taken from an outdoor garden room (Chanticleer in Wayne, PA) and the plants outside this opening were meant for a tropical experience with the view.  However, note that scale and depth that is provided by distant trees and scenery.  Each of the photos below also has a little description.

view at Chanticleer to two weeping Norway spruce (Picea abies 'Pendula') focal points

the ruins garden at Chanticleer (Wayne, PA) inviting you in for exploration
Swarthmore College (PA) campus
Chicago Botanic Garden - this screams "Come see what's going on in here!"
living archway (with steel trellis guide) inviting entry
framed focal point at Denver Botanic Garden from one garden to another
rock panels at the Denver Botanic Garden creating both a backdrop and open "viewing gaps"
arched trellis with golden hops vine (Humulus lupulus 'Nugget') framing entry/view at the Chicago Botanic Garden
framed view at the Toledo Botanical Garden
trellising framing view at the Chicago Botanic Garden
weeping blue spruces (Picea pungens var. glauca) being trained for an evergreen archway
living archway at the Chicago Botanical Garden framing view and a travel route
archway surrounding by hedging at Butchart Gardens (British Columbia)
rose archways at Butchart Gardens
picturesque view framed at the Dr. Sun Yet-Sen Chinese Garden (Vancouver, B.C.)
archway framing view to new garden space at Olbrich Botanical Gardens (Madison, WI)
interesting deception with framed mirror creating depth in the conservatory at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park (Grand Rapids, MI)
borrowed scenery in England with wall opening
                          borrowed scenery in England with wall opening and sculptural focal point

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