Building a Night Garden
The week before last I was lucky enough to attend Custom Houses Grand Designs convention, wherein over a thousand different exhibitors displayed a range of new products, techniques and disciplines, applicable not only to interior design and decoration but also (on a smaller scale) tohorticulture and outdoor decoration.
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The impetus of the design lay in thephilosophy that due to the hectic lifestyle required to support a grand outdoorspace, many of us dont get the choice to enjoy our garden during thedaytime-ironic no? So, The 24 Hour Garden, as it was so aptly named, wasbuilt with not only its lit aesthetic in mind, but also the applications itmight promise after hours, particularly those of hosting and catering.
It seemed a topic not oft discussed inconventional garden design, so I wanted to set aside some column inches tosuggest how one might go about building your own space whose usefulness iscomplete, regardless of whether the clock reads lunchtime or late-o-clock.
Lighting
Despite the night garden being traditionally a dimmed place,lighting is an essential component to make the space both useable in the summermonths, and visually accessible in the winter, however, like the palette youchoose for your planting, lighting is, at best, a subtle art, meaning thatalthough it is a characteristic of the day time there is no need for yours tobe reminiscent of blazing sunshine. Indeed, as any photographer will tell you,the nightscape provides lighting opportunities not available when sunlight isabundant - hence the attraction of black and white celluloid where the lightbecomes a means of punctuation rather than the prose itself. The beauty ofmodern lighting is the variety of different forms it comes in: stairwaylighting, underwater illumination, overhead down-lighters or verticalup-lighters, not to mention those concealed within the plants themselves. This latter is a popular option as it helpsnegate the tone of artificiality that the plastics and metals of a lightingsystem evoke. The underwater light is also a marvellous addition to the nightgarden which, while not particularly functional, gives an access to view anywildlife inhabiting your ponds you might not otherwise be privy to.
However, the likely motivation for buildingor adapting a night garden is so you have the means and the place to entertainand to relax afterhours and to this end I would also recommend, either recessedwalkover floor lighting, or focal point spot lighting rather than harshfloodlighting as is so often seen in gardens. Floor lighting is a softer optionand will not threaten any trip hazard in the twilight, particularly with theuse of frosted lenses, while spotlighting will lend a glamorous red-carpet feelto not only the garden but to any tree canopies above it too.
Furniture
So, assuming the garden is to be a place ofhospitality, and now weve established how you and your guests will find theirway around it, we must next discuss what it is theyll be finding their wayaround.
A sitting area should be one of your firstconsiderations, mainly because unlike the lighting its value will not bedetracted by the absence of darkness-you can enjoy a quiet sit down as much onyour days off, as after your days on. Comfortable seating, whether freestandingor built-in is a must and well discuss this in a later article. But you might alsowant to making this a dining area, with the addition of a barbeque or chiminea,or even a small scale bar or outdoor kitchen, if youre budget willaccommodate, in any case theres no feeling comparable to cooking, preparingand dining in the outdoors and, as such, this should definitely be considered.
General Aesthetic
Finally, we have the presentation of thegarden itself and how we can make best use of the elements of night, whilststill insuring that the site is picturesque in the day time, for this reason Imust reiterate the use of water. Lights will capture the sparkle of movingwater as it falls, but there are few natural elements better paired then theblackness of still water at night, and the moon and stars reflection within it.It gives fluidity to an arcane archetype of our culture, indigenous to themythology of our ancestors. Candles or lanterns also take us back to ourancient roots, and make an excellent addition to the night garden for themagical and transient quality of their light.
Wind chimes are also highly effective inthe night garden, partly due to their taking advantage of what might be anuncomfortably chill breeze, but mostly due to their obscurity when placedcorrectly. By semi-concealing the chimes youll lend an air of mystery to thespace as guests will not be able to place their songs origin. If, however, youprefer more contemporary tunes, why not install some unobtrusive speakers inyour garden and enjoy all your favourite music while you entertain.
In our next article concerning the GrandDesigns exposition, well be discussing the various materials and devices thatwere on show, both at Grand Designs and its previous counterpart Ecobuild, thatcan be implemented to make your homes and green spaces more eco-friendly.
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