Chris Young. Garden Design

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Interpreting the style

The manipulation of space is central to Modernism, creating gardens free

from clutter or fuss. This style demands a clearly deﬁned geometric layout,

so that the proportions of the main features can be appreciated. Keep

material and plant palettes to a minimum, and pay particular attention to

the ﬁner details. Fixings can be hidden to create smooth ﬂowing surfaces.

POOL GARDEN

Smooth rendered walls

surround this garden

with a neutral backdrop,

allowing the reﬂective

water and planting to

take center stage. Decks

overhang the pool to create

an impression of ﬂoating

surfaces. Planting is

restricted, but simple

blocks of texture create

the necessary impact.

BAMBOO SCREEN

Decking creates a warm,

tactile surface, which is

ideal for city or roof

gardens. Here the planting

is contained within simple

cube or box planters that

screen this private space.

CHOOSING A STYLE

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“The play of light and

shadow breathe life into

the Modernist garden”

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TEXTURAL COMPOSITION

Contrasting surfaces of honed limestone, precise

dry stone walls, and reﬂective steel-edged water

create the drama here, softened by the dense

planting of irises and Stipa beyond.

COMPLEMENTARY COLORS

Texture, color, and shape combine to create this small

garden. The ochre tones of the brickwork contrast with

the warm terra-cotta-rendered surfaces, while clipped

evergreens, grasses, and irises offer natural forms.

GARDENS TO VISIT

BURY COURT, Farnham, UK

Includes a grid pattern grass garden by

Christopher Bradley-Hole.

www.burycourtbarn.co.uk

ST CATHERINE’S COLLEGE, Oxford, UK

www.stcatz.ox.ac.uk

VILLA NOAILLES, Hyères, France

Refurbished Cubist garden designed by

Gabriel Guevrekian.

www.villanoailles-hyeres.com

ART INSTITUTE GARDENS, Chicago, US

EL NOVILLERO, SONOMA, California, US

Thomas Church’s iconic Modernist garden.

www.gardenvisit.com

INTERPRETING MODERNIST STYLE

161

CLASSIC STRUCTURE

The rectangular pool, deck, and path are classic Modernist

features, complemented here by blocks of dwarf hedging

and an untamed leafy backdrop.

GEOMETRICAL DESIGN

The architecture of this garden space is the dominant theme,

with the rectangular pool based on the dimensions of the

picture window. Repeated cordylines arranged along

the balcony above create a sculptural splash.

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Modernist garden plans

The Modernist garden has enjoyed a revival over the last decade, with a return to simple,

geometric layouts and an emphasis on balance, proportion, and quality materials. The

three designs here are perfect examples of gardens that embrace these themes. In each,

planting is simple and bold, allowing space and material texture to be the focus. And both

exemplify Modernist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s maxim: “Less is more”.

MAXIMIZING SPACE

Planting is restricted in this elegant garden by Vladimir Djurovic,

where surface and texture are the highlights. Lighting draws

attention to the low bench seats and to the apparently ﬂoating ﬁre

cowl, which becomes a giant focal point for the terrace.

KEY INGREDIENTS

1 Red cedarwood table

2 Acer palmatum

3 Lighting

4 Natural stone-honed ﬁnish

VLADIMIR SAYS:

“This garden was developed as a vacation

retreat. The space available for the garden

was quite restricted, and a major part of

the design process was dedicated to

creating a sense or illusion of space.”

“The brief was quite demanding: the

client loves to live outdoors when in

residence, and the garden needed to

reﬂect this—with spaces for cooking and

dining, relaxing, entertaining large groups

of people, and so on.”

“The restricted topography and the

fact that the house is arranged on split

levels also made the connection and

sequencing of space more difﬁcult.”

“The result is typical of my work—I aim

to produce memorable spaces, no matter

what their scale. I am inspired by nature

and meaningful human intervention, and

I like to feel that my work brings people

closer to the natural world.”

Repeated

grass

grooves give

the garden

rhythm

Spot

lighting

“Floating” fire cowl

CHOOSINGASTYLE

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2345

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ROOM OUTSIDE

GRID LOCK

Created by Wynniatt-Husey

Clarke, this London garden

was commissioned to complete

renovations to the client’s house.

KEY INGREDIENTS

1 Hardwood panel fencing

2 Carpinus betulus

3 ‘Floating’ cantilevered hardwood bench

4 Self-binding crushed slate particles

5 Zantedeschia aethiopica

‘Crowborough’

PATRICK CLARKE SAYS:

“The garden emerged from a close

cooperation between the architect, client,

and garden designer. More than anything,

it reﬂects a clear ambition to see the

building and garden as a single entity.”

“The rendered “blade” wall, color-

matched to the interior ﬁnish, gives the

impression that the back wall of the house

has been moved to the end of the garden.

The threshold between inside and out is

seamless, with the same paving used for

both, and a frameless door creating minimal

intrusion. Asymmetry is used as a way of

creating a dynamic quality within the

garden as one moves through the space.“

The owners of this property

asked Andrew Wilson for a

spacious design with a semi-

industrial quality, to complement

a new, polished, dark-green

ﬁberglass house extension with

long curtain walls made of glass.

KEY INGREDIENTS

1 Betula pendula

2 Stipa gigantea

3 Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Bronzeschleier’

4 Yucca aloifolia

5 Ligustrum delavayanum

ANDREW SAYS:

“The long, low roof of the new building

extension was echoed in the horizontals of

the paving, low walls, and steps. The trees,

mainly pine and birch, provide towering

verticals that produce the classic contrast

central to most Modernist compositions.”

“The garden is paved in colored, poured

concrete that appears to ﬂoat out across

a reﬂecting inﬁnity-edge pool. Darker

rendered walls provide subtle screening

and a backdrop for uplighting to create an

ambient glow after dark.”

Terrazzo patio

Pleached

Carpinus

(hornbeam)

Colored,

poured

concrete

paving

Rendered blockwork

“blade” wall

Granite

aggregate

concrete

coping

Color-

pigmented,

concrete

rendered walls

MODERNIST GARDEN PLANS

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THE JAPANESE GARDEN is often perceived

in the West as a single garden style, when in

fact there are many different approaches and

philosophies, some of which are based on

traditional rituals or have spiritual meaning.

These diverse design theories make a deﬁnitive

translation of this style difﬁcult.

At their heart, however, Japanese gardens

share some key characteristics. Symmetry, for

example, is eschewed in favor of balanced

asymmetry. These harmonious layouts are

achieved by the careful

placement of objects and

plants of various sizes,

forms, and textures,

frequently contrasting

rough with smooth,

vertical with horizontal, or hard with soft.

The area of the garden is often restricted, but

individual elements are not forced or crowded

together, and the space between objects is

considered essential to the overall design.

Japanese gardens are appreciated as visual

compositions for contemplation, rather than as

spaces to be cultivated or enjoyed for leisure.

Traditionally, natural stone was used, although

many modern gardens feature concrete or

stone with different

ﬁnishes. Bamboo

and timber are also

popular materials.

The famous dry

Zen gardens use ﬁne

gravel raked into

ﬂuid patterns, and

planting in these

symbolic gardens is

minimal, often limited to mosses and lichens

around the base of a group of rocks.

Water is seen as a purifying element,

especially important in Japanese tea rituals.

Small pools, often in stone containers, or

streams, provide reﬂective details.

Planting in Japanese gardens is restrained,

with bamboo, grasses, and irises providing

verticals, and plants such as camellias, cherry

trees, peonies, and rhododendrons used for

ﬂower and form. The underlying geometry

is not easily discernible, but irregular plans

may be complemented by paths made from

rectangular blocks. Informal stepping stones

or meandering pathways are also typical, as the

changing views or winding terrain provide an

aid to concentration and meditation.

Japanese gardens

Cherry blossom has been

celebrated for centuries.

A mountain landscape

recreated in miniature.

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What is Japanese style?

CHOOSING A STYLE

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After centuries of isolation, the harmonious asymmetry of

Japanese gardens came as a shock to Western travelers in the

19th century, who were used to more formal and geometrical

layouts. The balance of hard elements, such as rocks, stepping

stones, and gravel, with tightly clipped shrubs and trees,

created a contrast that still appeals. Meticulous positioning of

the main elements to disguise restricted spaces, or to provide

links to the landscape beyond, is crucial to the success of many

of these sculptural and highly controlled gardens.

JAPANESE STYLE IN DETAIL

Many plants used in Japanese gardens are subjected to tight pruning

regimes to maintain or restrict their size, but also to ensure that

they remain in proportion to their surroundings; maples, azaleas,

camellias, and bamboo are all controlled in this way.

In turn, rocks are selected for their weathered qualities, and their

innate characteristics are carefully considered before ﬁnal placement

is agreed. A pleasing contrast between verticals and horizontals is also

important to achieve. Gravel is used to symbolize water and provides

a neutral but textured foil to the planting and rock formations. In Zen

gardens the gravel is raked into precise patterns, and this daily ritual

is considered conducive to contemplation and self-knowledge.

In stroll gardens, the route through the space is scrupulously

planned, and the winding paths or stepping stones ensure that the

visitor stops to experience the views that are revealed along the way.

JAPANESE PLANTS

Evergreens are often densely planted

and pruned to provide a consistent

structure, whereas deciduous species are

used for ﬂower color or seasonal change.

WATER FEATURES AND POOLS

Water is either used expansively as

a reﬂective surface, or in smaller features,

such as the stone water basins (tsukubai)

associated with the tea ceremony.

KEY DESIGN ELEMENTS

Background

planting

Japanese

maple

Upright stones

Flat stone

bridge

White azalea

Bed of gravel

SYMBOLIC GARDEN

Gravel runs through this

space like a stream in

this garden designed

by Masao Fukuhama

(right ). A simple stone

bridge crosses over the

gravel, providing horizontal

accents in contrast to

the stones and planting

alongside. The massed

planting screens the

boundaries and provides

a clear visual link to the

wider landscape beyond.

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WHAT IS JAPANESE STYLE?

167

SYMBOLIC ORNAMENTS

Stone lanterns, water basins, and

buddhas are often placed close to paths

leading to the tea ceremony. Pagodas or

stupas create focal points in larger gardens.

GRAVEL AND ROCKS

Gravel is used to represent water,

with stones symbolizing islands, boats, or

even animals. Great care is taken over the

placement and orientation of the stones.

BAMBOO FENCING

Fences and gates are often made from

bamboo fastened with elaborate ties or

bindings. These are used as boundaries

and screens, or to direct or control views.

STEPPING STONES

Stepping stones create a heightened

self-awareness through the garden. Often

used as a route to the tea ceremony, they

resemble a dewy path through the forest.

Religious inﬂuences

Japan’s rich tapestry of religious belief is fundamental to the design

of its exquisite gardens. Both the ancient religion of Shinto, and the

Buddhist teachings that were introduced later, celebrate the natural

world, and all natural elements are seen as sacred and thus worthy

of respect and worship. This philosophical approach is expressed in

many Japanese gardens by the sensitive placement of signiﬁcant rocks,

trees, or other natural phenomena, with specimen maples, magnolias,

or cherries often displayed against a backdrop of dark foliage. The

cultivation of beauty as a spiritual activity is also reﬂected in Zen

tea gardens, in which a roji (dewy path) lit by stone lanterns leads the

visitor through an intimate landscape to the ceremonial tea house.

DESIGN INFLUENCES

The Zen gardens of Japan were created as a focus for contemplation,

relating to the garden itself and to the process of maintaining the gravel.

The style originated in the Muromachi period (c.1336–1573), when rock

work appeared in gardens of the sh¯o guns, often with dry streams

alongside. Later examples are frequently associated with Zen Buddhist

monasteries in and around Kyoto, and many are small-scale and enclosed.

Ryoanji, which dates from the late 15th and early 16th centuries, is the

most famous and celebrated of these gardens (below). It is viewed from

a meditation hall and verandah, and is not meant to be traversed. Moss,

the only living material in the garden, grows like an emerald carpet around

the base of ﬁve symbolic groups of rocks. The intense abstraction and

stillness of this ascetic garden inspires a state of reﬂection and meditation.

Serene economy at the heart of Ryoanji.

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Interpreting the style

Pressure on land means that most Japanese gardens are tiny, and designed to be

looked at rather than used. Sculptural courtyard gardens, laid out to be viewed from

important windows or terraces, focus on a few carefully selected stones or trees.

Larger gardens are also highly manipulated, with precisely positioned plants, trained

to deceive the eye—here there is more room for a range of trees, intricate pathways,

water features, and views into the shakkei or “borrowed landscape” beyond.

TRANQUIL MOSS GARDEN

The uneven and meandering stepping

stones stand out against a soft emerald

carpet of moss. Exquisite views are

created to be admired along the way.

GRAVEL AND STONES

In this contemporary courtyard, carefully

chosen rocks and stones form a sculptural

route across gravel and moss, punctuated

by the verticals of specimen trees.

MINIATURE LANDSCAPE

A typical arrangement of interior, veranda,

and garden presents a staged sequence

of space. Here a contorted specimen pine

provides a magniﬁcent focal point.

REFLECTIONS OF FALL

Japanese maples shade the banks of a

pool, dropping their colorful leaves like

jewels onto the ground. Stepping stones

offer access across the still water.

CHOOSING A STYLE

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SINUOUS STEPS

Curving stone steps provide an enticing route through

the garden, creating a similar effect to winding stepping-

stone paths. Subtle layered planting follows the rhythm.

GEOMETRIC SPACE

This modern design uses horizontal and vertical steel

panels to form a transparent deck and uniﬁed boundary,

through which the stems and foliage of plants emerge.

FALLING WATER

The placement of vertical and horizontal rocks is key to

the success of waterfalls and dry gravel systems alike.

This three-step cascade produces a calming water sound.

TRANSCENDENT STONES

Balance is an important attribute of the Japanese garden,

emphasized here by this precarious sculpture of ﬂat stones,

and echoed by the low hedges and ground cover beyond.

ILLUSIONS OF SPACE

An illusion of distance is created here, by emphasizing

the foreground with a stone lantern and balustrade. The

fall canopies can be appreciated from the path.

JAPANESE GARDENS TO VISIT

KATSURA IMPERIAL VILLA Stroll garden

with extensive water and woodland.

RYOANJI Zen Buddhist raked gravel garden.

TOFUKUJI Zen temple garden. Acer collection.

All gardens above are in Kyoto, Japan

Information at www.japan-guide.com

TATTON PARK, Cheshire, UK

One of the best Japanese gardens in England.

www.tattonpark.org.uk

GOLDEN GATE PARK, San Francisco, US

Japanese stroll-style tea garden.

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“Japanese gardens are symbolically and

spiritually connected to the landscape”

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