I attempted to do that in the far corner of my backyard by sectioning it off from the rest of the yard with a boxwood hedge and a simple iron arbor. There was an existing mature apple tree that gave me a good start on the feeling of being closed in. I added several Japanese maples and a chair and after just a couple years it really is starting to feel like a cove.
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| Japanese maples - Seiryu (in the foreground) and Iniba Shidare in the background |
My satisfaction peaked the other day when my daughter came out to read while I worked in the yard. I wasn't paying much attention while I worked but when I looked up and saw that she had chosen to sit in this uncomfortable chair and read a book I was thrilled. Thrilled that she loves to read so much and thrilled that something in her was drawn to spend time in this part of the yard.
I could stand to learn a few things from her example.
After she caught me taking this picture she started hamming it up for the camera. Here's a better view of the way the "cove" is coming together:
I love this book -- easily the most helpful garden design book I've ever read. I discovered I tended toward the "harbor" archetype; is that the same as a cove? I have also found her discussion of "stroll journeys" and "mind journeys" helpful as I create my new front garden. -Jean
ReplyDeleteYour daughter is growing up so fast, she will remember your garden all of her life. Our sons each had favorite places in our horticultural sideshow, too. We spent most all of their childhoods battling the garden and our youngest son (now 26) wasn't happy with our obsession. The odd thing was a comment he made the other day about something being out of place in the garden; I never realized he'd been paying attention until now.
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