Garden design & the landscape

“It is important that sculpture relates to place” and that is why Peter Randall Page carefully sites his sculptures in nature or designs a garden around them in more civic situations.   This is just one of the very interesting points made by Peter in his lecture last night at the University of Bath.  I found it of interest that this sculptor was also a garden designer and it made me feel more comfortable about the two branches that entwine my professional life: willow sculpture and garden design although I must add I am a fully trained horticulturist too (i.e. a plantswoman)!

This concept of belonging is just as relevant to gardens; gardens should relate to their locality.   Such gardens will fit the landscape, they will use (or reflect) local materials, draw on local practices or architecture and will show individuality,  standing apart  from those gardens which rely on ubiquitous landscape materials.