Why think about gardens now? The weather outside is terrible and the sun seems to set only just after it has risen. One reason to look forward to the spring is that it is a good way to cheer yourself up. This is of course famously the time of year to make resolutions and lists; clear one’s desk and mind of preconceptions, and move forward with fresh vigour (if slightly lower in the water after the Christmas period). It is perhaps for this reason that we often get new enquiries in January. It is not a bad time to start planning a project, if one can raise the enthusiasm. Getting stuck into the possibilities of what can be achieved is almost by definition an optimistic process which helps raise the spirits of all concerned.
I also find that one looks at landscapes and gardens in a different way at this time of year. In a sleepy winter landscape, the importance of what colour and life remains is underlined.
One becomes more aware of the contrasts between evergreens and deciduous plants; of coloured stems shining in low sunlight. Birds are suddenly much more noticeable, along with the need to cater for them. There is something particularly fascinating about the landscape laid bare at this time of year. Beyond the tiredness of the herbaceous plants and bumpy lawns, there is a leaner palette of colour and texture that gradually forces the casual observer to look more closely at a landscape.
The skeletal nature of the branches, and the tracery of the twigs can look very dramatic against a pale sky, and quite magical when picked out in frost.
The snow underlines the structure of a landscape in quite a different way. The surface textures are all obliterated, the contours smoothed out and the colour palette reduced to a simple, elegant monotone. The reflective effect of the white landscape also gives a different quality to the light.
The sun is often low in the sky which enhances the undulations of the landforms with subtle bluish purple shadows. All of these things allow us to look at the structural elements of the landscape with a detachment that is otherwise rarely possible, often revealing a hidden beauty and simplicity of form. There is also a stillness about a winter landscape that lends real serenity. Noise is muffled, but there are few leaves to rustle together anyway.
So instead of moping inside, look at the landscape through fresh eyes and reassess it. You may see simple beauty that you hadn’t noticed before.
January 5, 2011
