Garden Photo of the Day

A splash of red makes a big impact

Michelle Gervais, Associate Editor

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Photo: Danielle Sherry

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This is a great example of what a splash of hardscape color can do for a garden. Try to imagine this scene without its bright red bench. Not quite as interesting, right? A punchy focal point like this can complete a garden. This particular bench, with its trio of upright back supports and long seat, reinforces other linear aspects of the garden, like the long row of black mondo grass to the right and the inlaid edging of stone to the front and left.

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Which one of these things is not like the others?

Comments (4)

catsdogs writes: Now that is a really nice Picture, and the Piece of RED Furniture, is amazing to it all. Really Nice, I wish this was my back yard, Ha//// Posted: 11:04 am on May 26th

arboretum writes: uh, CONtext!
mindy Posted: 10:48 am on May 26th

arboretum writes: Excellent piece, Michelle and Danielle. Combination of a well done photo and very educational thinking about the scene and choice of materials within the cotaxt of garden design.

This vignette brings up more than a few things to comment on.
The plantings themselves do not reflect a particularly brazen sensibility (i.e. Thomas Hobbs'"Shocking Beauty"style.) Then again, a shady woodland is not very supportive of the types of plants needed for that brazen Tropical look. The existing plantings could easily be surrounding a Luykens bench, or an Asian motif. But the designer chose a one-of-a-kind bench of modern, even Pop!,styling with a bright bold color to match. They combined this with unusual modern stone paving elements that further emphasize the linear bench element (continued in the mondo grass, as you noted.)

I'm not saying that this is what actually happened here, but this vignette could be used as an example of "how to jazz up/ re-birth an existing garden" with minimal effort- i.e. change the bench and add some other hardscape features.

Do tell us whose and where this is! Might it be on a hilltop with a view? (I see nothing in the sky beyond the trees.)

Also, I'm trying to imagine sitting in the very innovatively designed bench- is it comfie? Does one sit with one's back
between or up against the vertical members?
Excellent piece!
thanks much,
mindy
www.cottonarboretum.com/
a teaching website Posted: 10:47 am on May 26th

stanhorst writes: It really is amazing how the right piece of hardscape at the right place completes the look. If you take away the bench, all you have is variations of green. That bench becomes a focal point for the eye, and also makes you want to stroll all the way to it, sit down, and relax for a while.

Stan Horst
Publisher: BetterBenches.com Posted: 5:32 am on May 26th

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