GARDEN DESIGN: QUICK! GRAB YOURSELF A COPY!

Eye of the Day has been involved with the publication Garden Design magazine for many years. The latest iteration  of this “magazine” is quarterly and feels more like a book than a periodical.  There is absolutely no advertising to interrupt the flow of articles and inspiring photographs.

My eye was first caught by the Editor’s Note  “Moonshot Thinking for a Low Water World” in which Thad Orr, Editor-in-Chief, discusses replacing lawn with water-wise alternatives involving collection systems and irrigation monitoring. On the facing page is Fresh: Inspiration and Innovations from the World of Garden Design.  This article addresses “Tough Questions about Drought” by asking four people: the Director of the Nature Gardens of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, the Director of the Landscape Architecture and Horticulture Gardening Programs at UCLA, a well-known Californa Landscape Architect and the Water Efficiency Manager of Irvine Ranch Water District, what can be done to conserve water this summer and in the future. Initially, this was all I needed to  continue reading; we all need to immerse ourselves in questions and answers about water usage.

Elise’s Gift showcases the historic Redford Gardens in Quebec, illustrating the article about one of the largest plant collections in North America and the story of its founder, Elsie Stephen Redford with photos of the abundant flora of the gardens that were once the family’s fishing camp. Reading about Elsie’s vision and involvement in her “garden” overlooking the St. Lawrence River has me wishing for an in-depth  biography of her life.

These are only a few of the gems between the covers of Garden Design. This impressive publication is just jammed with articles and photos that are so interesting, beautiful and thought provoking that even those of us not claiming to be gardeners  will just want to absorb.

Subscribe here.

FOUNTAIN AS MUSE

Sunday morning.  Outside the bank of our bedroom windows, the fountain’s splash and play completely encompass the peacefulness of home.  Our shy friend, a tiny iridescent green hummingbird is curiously eyeing the droplets arcing into the air. Especially while we are all thinking about water problems in California, enjoying a few moments with the sound, sight and spray of our fountain is almost intoxicating.

Throughout the years we have consistently added to Eye of the Day’s library of books pertaining to gardening, fountains, pottery, terracotta and European antiques. While I was mesmerized by the muse of my fountain, I remembered a book I found for Brent a few years ago:  Fountains Splash and spectacle: Water and Design from the Renaissance to the Present edited by Marilyn Symmes. The book traces the history of fountains throughout the world from the renovations of ancient Roman aqueducts to choreographed, computer controlled displays combining light, music, and fireworks.

Photographs, paintings, illustrations, etchings and drawings are so plentiful and varied that even if you only pick up the book to see them you’ll be drawn into reading a few paragraphs like this one:

Water possesses almost magical qualities.  A spraying fire hydrant can transform a sweltering city street into a temporary oasis, offering neighborhood children a showery playground as welcome relief—from the dry, hard pavement…the sound of moving water—sometimes a roar, at other times a whisper–breaks the stillness and can provide an aural refreshment on a warm day.

The last photo in the book is the best possible illustration of this paragraph.

Though our water problems have no foreseeable end and we may need to regulate the use of our fountains, the birds, bees and butterflies not only enjoy, but need water to survive and even a few hours a day provide a magical quality.  And that’s not just for animals, but for those of us staring out the window on a Sunday morning as well.

 

Fountains: Splash and Spectacle – Water and Design from the Renaissance to the Present. Edited by Marilyn Symmes. The Smithsonian Institution, 1998.