I recently had the opportunity to learn from some amazing horticulturists during an event at Chanticleer. The evening began with a garden walk led by Chanticleer’s own Dan Benarcik. Annie Guilfoyle, renowned UK garden designer, followed Dan with a talk on ‘What Makes a Garden Great.’
I thoroughly enjoyed learning the perspectives of these talented industry professionals. As we wandered through gorgeous Chanticleer, Dan talked about how the gardens constantly evolve in color and form. He encouraged us to focus on creating an ever-changing landscape that keeps things interesting and dynamic. He also suggested pressing the reset button from time to time to completely revamp a garden area if needed.
Dan recommended attendees test the limits of plants and use them to provide focal points, create different views, or add repetition and flow to an outdoor space. Tropical or architectural plants like Agave and Banana make impressive statements. Adding a plant that has a similar form to an architectural component (like a column) is a special way to add interest and emphasis.
When Annie spoke, she also emphasized marrying architecture to the garden. She suggested using art as inspiration for garden components like sculptures, fencing or even the layout of a bed. In episodes of Small Town Gardens, where Annie designed different gardens in the UK, she put this principle into action. She installed wall art inspired by a painting and implemented a water feature that looked like a replica of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water.
Annie feels gardens are also about people. People who grow or gift plants. People who put their unique spin on a place and let their personalities shine through in the landscape. In addition to making a space personal, Annie reminded the audience that bulbs and shrubs should be included in every garden as a way to extend the season and make the garden more special.
I walked away from my evening with Dan and Annie feeling renewed and motivated. I could feel them cheering me on as I planted bulbs, added a new stone bench based on the boulder ‘art’ in my garden and totally revamped a garden area by removing some water-hogging hydrangeas and replacing them with a variety of drought tolerant plants better suited to our current climate. When you have the opportunity to learn from experts like Dan and Annie, don’t hesitate. You will be grateful for the time spent and inspiration gained.