Here’s a blog post, but before we get into that, please remember to vote! vote! vote! for Veddw! Well, as long as you think we deserve it, of course. No harm in sending the link to friends and relations, too…..
Propaganda done. And here’s a treat: your flower pic at the begining.. (I know, you won’t read the post now…..)
Pattern
Do gardeners talk or think about pattern much? I don’t read the garden media or watch gardening programmes much, so I don’t know. But it seems to me to be one of the most important aspects of a garden. (Alongside light, plants, seats, wine….) I love it. I need it. I think one of the biggest reasons I find the ‘cottage’ garden style hard to cope with is its frequent absence.
So I think about it a lot. And some of our local (ie with Charles) disagreements are about symmetry.
But sometimes (not by any means always) the rigid balance of symmetry is a bit dead for me. I prefer to give it a twist, while not descending to chaos. Charles has always struggled with me over this and I have found it hard to explain sometimes why strict symmetry just won’t do. My very good friend Kathy put it well, though. She described how a man’s suit has buttons down the middle and lapels on either side – and one top pocket. Perhaps with a handkerchief, to make it read well. And she’s right.
If you’re a pedant, please don’t send lots of pictures of pocketless suit jackets… you’ve missed my point.
This emerged strongly as an issue when I let a small strip on one side of the Yew Walk revert to meadow. I liked the formality of the hedges contrasted with the randomness of the meadowy bit. But just on one side?? Has to be! He can’t see it. But he lets me do it.
The issue emerged again with the b̶a̶l̶l̶s̶ globes. I thought that having them match all the way down the avenue would look rather municipal. And that indeed it needed breaking up rather more than just not matching across the path. But this time, Charles not only accepted this, but he designed the irregular arrangement of b̶a̶l̶l̶s̶ the globes. And it works superbly. So somehow we have come to a common vision.
More casually and playfully (because much less rides on it) I paint pots and the arrange them on our shelves. This is always more complicated that it seems, and is not made easier by different sizes of plants needing different sized pots.
But sometimes I even go for symmetry. (ish)
In the garden, plants militate against any kind of pattern if you let them. You make an avenue of trees (remember ?) They will even spitefully die on you in order to destroy a pattern. It’s a constant battle. Currently the Crescent Border has some pink persicaria flowering away as an opening to the season. This is a vigorous tough plant, living happily as all our Crescent Border plants do with a good helping of ground elder for company. But, you know, there are three or four clumps on one side, and just one on the other……
These last few years we have been troubled with many nasty diseases, principally box blight. But also, and very sadly, holly blight. It has killed most of the native holly in our woods. And it has goes at the hollies in the garden, which we have quite a collection of. One of the nastiest results has been its attack on the holly standards in Charles’ plot. It starts from the bottom, leaving ugly, bare and totally dead branches.
Charles being, understandably, much upset by this, I suggested we grow ivy up them, to eventually replace the holly at the top. This has been going well, with the ivy climbing happily… until someone, who shall be nameless, cut the ivy off one. (The realised his mistake and stopped). It happened to be the most blighted.
We have four of these standards, grown from babies. (pause for a little weep here…). It now seems obvious that this one has to go. The interesting question is: will anyone notice? And what will they make of it? Will the destruction of the pattern register and matter? My curiosity about this almost overwhelms my upset about it.
It doesn’t overwhelm Charles’ upset, sadly.
What do you think? Will anyone notice? Or (apart from us) care? Do other people look for patterns? Do you mind if it’s missing or has gone odd? Will you complain if there are only three hollies?
Afterthought – writing this piece has made me realise I haven’t even begun to make sense of pattern, symmetry or anything else related to them. There’s a challenge then…..
Symmetry is so much easier than an asymmetrical arrangement that feels balanced satisfyingly. I really like your painted pots and the flowers in them aren’t bad, either.
As for the hollies, I think I would notice and be bothered by a symmetrical arrangement that was missing one element. It’s hard to be sure without seeing it in person, though.
Well, I think we’re going to have to do it. Would have been interesting to discover how the reality impinged on you, were you not so very far away! Xxx
Nature is asymmetric and attempting to achieve too much symmetry in a garden somewhat defeats the object. The purpose of symmetry should be to emphasise the lack of it elsewhere. Charles most definitely got it right with the globes (I might have gone further and avoided having them in a paired layout). Removing one holly could be seen as making a statement. We might expect to see four (given that Charles’ garden has a symmetrical layout) but three could be interpreted as you both simply finding another way to not conform and make people think a bit. Meanwhile condolences to Charles (who might, perhaps, just cut the top off the trunk and stick another ball on top).
Interesting John. There’s a whole thing here about being preoccupied with what people will think. Or rather with being concerned with the possibility that we might be doing something in order to create some particular impression. In a negative way. Like we are trying to manipulate. I don’t think that is what we are doing.
With the holly, for instance, what the real issue for me is facing the awful prospect of cutting down a tree that I have grown from something that was about 12 inches high. At the same time I hate seeing it so ugly and afflicted. All four of the hollies have been affected by the blight but the others are just about OK if I continue to cut dead bits out. Leaving three may look “wrong” , but there is no way that I could bring myself to cut down the remaining ones – or even one of them to re-create some kind balance or symmetry. But their days may all be numbered.
It was different with the Corylus avenue. Most of them were sickly and the whole wrong was looking awful. And we found something to replace them with that excited us.
I’m not keen on that ‘making people think’ thing myself, John. There are enough pressures and demands in the world already….. Xxxx
Hmm…was going to make 2 symmetrical topiary and decided it would be better to make 3 balance similar ones, in case 1 died or failed to grow well.
Very wise!