The details of this Dorset garden, where my walk this week took place, show just the kind of garden I like – informal but with elements of intentional design.
It is a mistake, in my opinion, to try to control nature – nature will always come out on top in the end – but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy arranging different aspects of it in our gardens. That is how we end up with interesting collections of patterns and textures connecting the man-made with the moss, the rust with the rose hips.
The aural element of the garden is as important as the visual, tactile and olfactory and the sounds to be heard below reflect the conditions – a damp, overcast Autumn day. The late morning atmosphere has a backdrop of a surprising amount of passing traffic on what I thought was a more lonely country road. But there is still the wind to be heard and the evidence of this is extended to the gentle wind chimes in the latter section of the soundscape. The soggy wet Autumn leaves can be heard underfoot and of course the occasional bird. The peaceful tick of a clock indoors confirms the isolation from traffic and other, more natural sounds – whether this is a good thing or not is for you to decide.
[spacer height=”20px”]
