Garden restoration

Hi Joshua

May I suggest a visit to 'The Lost Gardens of Heligan' as a starting point. You'll see before and after photo's of the restoration that went on there. I am sure there must be other gardens but this one sprang to mind. I also think you need to visit National Trust Gardens, RHS Gardens etc to explore the perennial debate about keeping gardens the way they were/have always been, and/or moving them forward with different/modern/contemporary planting schemes/sculptures etc.

Having been to many 'gardens' designed by garden designers I have still to make my mind up about this issue. I like modern plants but also like the traditional English Rose Garden and Kitchen Gardens.

As to the future of garden design.. who knows.. Here in the South East as you may know.. building new houses seems to take place anywhere and everywhere with ever diminishing garden sizes. Lots of open space is being built on...and then of course there is Climate Change.. if you believe in it???

Good luck

Debbie

Does anyone feel as if the current demand for garden restoration project will jepordise the future of garden design?

Why dont we use these sites so that todays top designers can stamp there mark for the current period were in, instead of continuesly harking back to the past?

In 50 to 100 years what will be in the history books for garden design for this era?

Has Chelsea, Hampton Court etc become the only place that the top designers can showcase there skills, shouldn't they be given the chance to showcase this skills permenantly on a large, estat scale?

Gardens in the past have been knocked down and recreated by the current designer of the day (Lancelot Brown, William Kent etc), why have we now decided to stop progress and keep recreating old gardens?

Some interesting questions, what do you all think....

Replies

PRO

Geoffrey King February 21, 2012 at 8:34pm

Maybe contact the National Trust
Debbie Merryweather February 22, 2012 at 8:58pm

Hi Joshua

May I suggest a visit to 'The Lost Gardens of Heligan' as a starting point. You'll see before and after photo's of the restoration that went on there. I am sure there must be other gardens but this one sprang to mind. I also think you need to visit National Trust Gardens, RHS Gardens etc to explore the perennial debate about keeping gardens the way they were/have always been, and/or moving them forward with different/modern/contemporary planting schemes/sculptures etc.

Having been to many 'gardens' designed by garden designers I have still to make my mind up about this issue. I like modern plants but also like the traditional English Rose Garden and Kitchen Gardens.

As to the future of garden design.. who knows.. Here in the South East as you may know.. building new houses seems to take place anywhere and everywhere with ever diminishing garden sizes. Lots of open space is being built on...and then of course there is Climate Change.. if you believe in it???

Good luck

Debbie
Joshua Handrick February 23, 2012 at 10:56am

Does anyone feel as if the current demand for garden restoration project will jepordise the future of garden design?

Why dont we use these sites so that todays top designers can stamp there mark for the current period were in, instead of continuesly harking back to the past?

In 50 to 100 years what will be in the history books for garden design for this era?

Has Chelsea, Hampton Court etc become the only place that the top designers can showcase there skills, shouldn't they be given the chance to showcase this skills permenantly on a large, estat scale?

Gardens in the past have been knocked down and recreated by the current designer of the day (Lancelot Brown, William Kent etc), why have we now decided to stop progress and keep recreating old gardens?

Some interesting questions, what do you all think....
Kevin Barnett February 23, 2012 at 10:22pm

To go somewhere you have to know where you've come from. As a student you have studied the history of design and all design is the reinvention of a previous style era etc but with perhaps a different intpretation ? It is nice to see earlier styles at first hand as opposed to 'engravings' photos, etc. also who says that modern is the answer. Has jekylls planting style been improved over time or do most hark back to her influence ?
Benjamin O'Neill February 24, 2012 at 3:05pm

With regards to to new designers building on a large scale the idea is unfortuanlly dimminshing as the cost of landscaping is so high and the upkeep is on many occasion even greater. The demand for large gardens is only reserved for the rich and famous.

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