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Gardens are more than plants
Posted by Sunset, December 28, 2008 in Furnishing the garden , People , Techniques

By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

Like most garden writers, I am a plant geek.  So it has taken me a very long time to accept that gardens don't have to contain a hundred different species to be appealing.  And even longer to recognize how important the non-plant elements are to the success of a garden.  Examples like the one shown below, which is on page 36 of our January issue in the Southwest and Southern California editions, though, are a constant reminder. 

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The contrast between the charcoal-colored walls that enclose the garden and the peach-colored structure that hides the pool equipment are as important as the plants.  And the metallic gleam of the side entrance gate is as important a focal point as the blooms of the Western redbud.  Don't believe me?  Take a look at the before.

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Renovation by Troy Bankord, a Phoenix garden designer.  We showed the before and after versions of the front yard of this house in a post last month.  Take a peek.

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Posted at 07:59 AM in Furnishing the garden, People, Techniques |
Comments

Like you, Sharon, I'm a plant geek who has learned that great plants are better with lovely garden structure to support them - and vice versa. The "after" is very striking! I love the horizontal planes of color, especially the peach wall, which shows that an unattractive view can be turned into something lovely.

Posted by:Lisa Albert | December 30, 2008 at 11:09 AM

Chad Robert, a landscape architect in Phoenix, told me once: "If you have an eyesore, turn it into a focal point." I can't tell you how many times I've thought of that quote in the years since. That's what Troy has done here. Instead of a half-hearted attempt to disguise all that equipment, he created a focal point.

Posted by:Sunset | December 31, 2008 at 11:38 AM
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