Archive for the ‘Detroit Garden Works’ Category
Towards A Better Arrangement
My last post ended with this picture; lots has happened with this space in the past two days. I am standing in the entrance to my glass/greenhouse space; the camera frames what I see from the doorway. I have tried to arrange everything such that the view of the back wall is framed by objects in the mid ground space. This makes for an invitation to enter the space, and explore. I have combined objects with a vintage, and contemporary feeling on the shelves; I like how they work together. A shelf has height and depth-I try to take advantage of both. Some objects are parallel to the back wall, some objects come forward in the space. The cats and dog are great in this space; they make eye contact, and say hello. Three objects-the glass bistro table with the painted green iron base, the yellow Anduze pot, and the contemporary carved wood vase-attract the eye, as they are much different than the predominant color scheme. It’s only natural that your eye would focus on that which is different. Moving from one of these objects to another constitutes engagement. If you can move a viewer to interact with a space, they will take the time to see what you have going on there. If the spaces are confusing and disorganized, a viewer will opt out, see little, pass by.
Objects that contrast but still harmonize in shape, size and color make good companions. Always with a vignette I am making a suggestion about what I think would look good together. At the very least, a well organized space can help another person to organize their thoughts about what does not appeal to them. Some are gifted with the ability to see in spite of chaos. I think this quality helps to make Rob the buyer that he is. He can spot the one item in a mountain of stuff that has the potential to endow a garden. He has the ability to focus on an object and not be disturbed or distracted by its environment.
Shelves are rigid and confined structures, but that does not mean that what goes on them needs to be visually confined. Up and down, in and out, what is an unexpected, what is repeated-all of this goes towards engaging the eye. The little primitive wood birdhouse clearly needs a better spot-it looks lost, does it not? The oak bench needs enough of its top available to see, and to test out.
Really special objects ask for a place for the eye to stop and rest. These balsa wood decoys of mud hens date back to the early 20th century-the dealer thought they came from the Maumee Valley of Ohio. Though diminiutive in size, and somber in color, they are quite beautiful sculptures. They deserve a thorough look and see, so I placed them to reflect how I feel about them.
Our wall fountain, encrusted with shells, baby tears and moss attracts a lot of attention. I like for people to be able to walk right up to it. A collection of pots that readily moss up, and granite bird baths of various sizes make sense in this context. The old English stone birdbath stands out, as it is so different in period and shape. Any small subtle object benefits from a placement that draws attention to it.
The wood bistro set with matching chairs gets a big boost from the yellow French strie pots. The colors of both harmonize in a very strong way. There is a visual reference between the slat stripes and the clay stripes, that is more subtle than the color relationship, but it is pleasing. Sometimes a client will say they are inspired by something. I would say if an object and its placement triggers some response, for good or for ill, the vignette is working. I am never bothered by anyone saying they do not like something. I am much more bothered by an arrangement people ignore, or walk by.
I have moved the washing machine base table away from the wood topped tree trunk table, but kept them associated. The blue galvanized wash bucket across the way echoes the pale blue wash of the big table top, and its galvanized metal edge. A vintage aluminum tray puts a grey metal object on both sides of the aisle. That shiny object draws attention to a group of objects that are dark. The volumes and shapes are simple and friendly to one another. Any objects I would hesitate to put together in my own yard, I would not put together here.
As much as I love the shapes that plants create in a landscape, I love the shapes of all manner of objects. I try to display each-from the smallest to the largest-in a way that communicates my interest in good design. There are so many beautiful things that would not work or be appropriate in my garden, but taking care with their placement is a sign of appreciation for the object, its maker, its history, and its use.
Things are looking better already.
Order In The Court, Please.
Everywhere I look in my shop, there are signs of dissolution, depression and disrepair-the late summer doldrums have set in. August in Michigan is glaringly hot and dry-nothing much on deck but that sun that is so hot- promising to soon go low, and signal the fall. Great. The perennial garden is every unhappy shade of yellow, accented by some purple bits. Time to pick up, dust everything off, and remake. Every space in the shop decimated by early summer sales worries my eye. How’s that? I can try to explain. In this picture, I see 9 containers whose relationship to each other is unclear. This looks to me like a person was comparing containers of the same shape in different materials, in an effort to sort out what they liked. I think I am looking at the remains of their discussion.
What we have going on here I call a gaposis. This word of my own invention refers to those places that have gaps-something is missing. The stone mini-cistern is not so friendly to the shape of the brown glazed pot next to it. The empty floor space suggests that which held this visual space together is no longer there. Any gardener who has ever lost a tree understands this look. Spaces-terraces, landscapes, cities, communities- are best organized around that element or group of elements that sets a mood. If you do not have any mood-making going on, it may be time to rearrange.
This small space has so much going on that nothing is going on. It is difficult to make sense of the space-what was the intention here? I am sure there was no intent; I am thinking these things are new to the shop, and waiting for a home. People respond strongly to the overall look of a space. Since we are as much interested in design as we are in garden ornament, our intentions are important. Landscapes with a strong idea that is intentionally expressed are visually successful.
This concrete table with a Belgian oak base is very good looking. Three objects tucked underneath its top obstruct one’s view of the table legs. The wirework boxes look stored, not displayed. That every object is the same height-that height that fits neatly under the table top-is visually sleepy. I like objects arranged at different heights, and in different planes. A row of matching arborvitae that describes one plane in a space is asking for what comes next. The relationship of one plant to another, or one object to another, is often more important than the individual elements. There really is no such thing as a boring plant, or object-only boring placements.
Varying the heights and sizes of objects in a shop is very important. Anything that cannot be clearly seen will be ignored. In the landscape, a view to something beautiful needs framing, not blocking. It is not always so easy to figure out what goes together in a lively and fresh way. I may move something around 10 times, and finally give up-hoping inspiration might strike at some other time. I greatly admire those people who dress shop windows in an exciting way. When I see an interesting plant, my very next thought is where that plant might be placed to good advantage.
Both of these tables are very handsome in their own right. Each needs its place to shine. I would be very confident having both, but I would separate them such that my eye would move from one to the other. How strong elements are placed in a composition makes for movement and rhythm. As for the old English shoe rack pictured above-it was never meant to hold big heavy pots-physically, or visually. I find that once you use an object for the sole purpose of displaying another object, you diminish its visual stature. Any designer in charge controls the volume and pace of a composition. While one Japanese maple may be singular and visually stellar, rows or blocks of them become something else entirely-a crop. Picking the best maple from a block-tougher than you might think. One of my most favorite gardens was accidental in this regard. I had such a love for peonies and more peonies, I lined them out in rows, just to get them in the ground. This desparation placement diminished the importance of the specific variety in favor of an overall look that enchanted me.
Texture is a very important element in design. There is plenty of texture action going on here, but the result is muddled. Layering one plant against another, or one object against another is loads of fun. I have moved around more plants more than I would care to admit-just to get that arrangement which suits me. This arrangement I would try to simplify-it just needs more air space. That is my point of view speaking. Another person might find this densely occupied space just perfect. Congestion is not for me. Differing points of view makes for very different outcomes. This is precisely why I like OPG’s- other people’s gardens are great fun to see.
I imagine there is some gardener somewhere that has a vintage child’s wheelbarrow as a centerpiece on their dining table, but I worry this placement does not do justice to this one. No doubt I will need to drag it all over to find just the right spot.
The end of the spring/early summer session in the shop means there will be some time involved in recreating a mood. I was well on my way when I took this picture; more to come.
At A Glance: Previous Ensembles
1995
2005
2006
2007
2004
2003
2010
