Heaven is a Garden. Jan Johnsen
Чтение книги онлайн.
Читать онлайн книгу Heaven is a Garden - Jan Johnsen страница 6
Название: Heaven is a Garden
Автор: Jan Johnsen
Издательство: Ingram
Жанр: Техническая литература
isbn: 9781943366125
isbn:
An important pointer for North gardens is to remember that shadows fall on the north side of a building. This can cast an unappealing gloom on a scene. Therefore, I located this garden about 20 feet out from the building – beyond the reach of the long shadows of winter. The resulting long view also adds drama and depth to the scene. A wonderful bonus for north-facing gardens is that at midday the sun is always behind you, which ensures that “nature’s spotlight” shines on the object but never gets in your eyes.
A viewing garden for the north side of a house, far out of reach of winter shadows.
A bench catches the gentle morning sun coming from the east. The ‘Neon Lights’ foam-flowers (Tiarella ‘Neon Lights’) that bloom in spring like it too.
East, the Auspicious Direction
East, the home of the early morning sun, is considered by many cultures to be the auspicious cardinal direction. Wise gardeners site their vegetables plots facing east because morning light provides optimal plant growth. Yoga practitioners face east when performing morning Salute to the Sun exercises to bask in the sun’s enlivening eastern rays. Designers of Gothic cathedrals sited them so congregants face east for prayers. And many libraries of old were designed so that the majority of their windows faced east.
We know east is associated with morning sunlight, but why do historic traditions also connect it with intellectual and spiritual pursuits? It may have to do with the effect of direction on our brain. Neuroscientist Dr. Tony Nader asserts that when we face east the firing patterns of the neurons in our brain’s thalamus are more coherent than when we face south or west. Could it be that we think more clearly facing east? Vastu, the ancient Indian system concerned with the design of the physical environment, suggests that students should face east when studying, for better concentration and sharper memory.
A hammock can encourage daydreaming, especially when it faces the east.
Knowledgeable garden designers, aware that an eastern outlook may enhance mental acuity, locate benches so that they face that direction. Ideally, you might encourage better daydreaming by hanging a hammock to catch the rays of the eastern sun. And if the hammock’s eastern orientation is coupled with a stand of trees to the west, then it is also shaded from the hot afternoon sun.
Morning sun streams through this gate, lighting up the dappled willow (Salix integra Hakuro-nishiki) that is planted just beyond it.
Always Follow the Light. There is nothing quite as pleasing as morning light shining through an east-facing garden gate. As we enter we see the brightness beckoning to us beyond the portal. The idea of the sun being in front of us, drawing us in, is similar to the “moth theory” of the 20th-century Miami Beach hotel architect Morris Lapidus, who noted that people, like moths, are attracted to light. This reasoning may be the basis of the “law of orientation” in Indian Vastu (like Chinese feng shui) which recommends that front doors, town entrances and garden gates all face east. In fact, the word orientation means towards the Orient, or towards the east.
An east-facing gate directs the view within.
An east-facing gate directs the morning light to highlight whatever is near the entrance. I used this to great effect when I designed this tall gate and stone columns. The 6-foot high arched gate, flanked on both sides by tall pillars, faces east; in the morning, the sun’s rays travel through it, spotlighting a golden thread leaf False Cypress tree (Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera Aurea’). The lighting effect is enticing.
South - The Direction of Celebration and Flowers
South is the home of the midday sun and, according to feng shui principles, is the direction that resonates with radiance and light. The south part of a property is the natural place for an open field, a large lawn or a flower garden. It is a good spot for celebrations and can feature strong colors such as red and purple in brightly colored banners or foliage. A border of hot colors – yellow, orange, red – also looks wonderful in a south-facing garden.
The south side of a building or property is also well suited for anything to do with light or fire. It is direction of the fire element in feng shui; therefore, a garden torch, light fixture, fire pit or barbeque is at home here. Interestingly, Vastu considers land that is elevated in the south and southwest to be the kind of terrain that bestows prosperity.
An open south-facing area features sun–loving Knock Out® roses, ornamental grasses and Sargent’s juniper (Juniperus chinensis var. sargentii). The south part of a property is the natural place for celebrations and flower gardens.
The South Lawn of the White House uses the qualities of the south perfectly. The expansive lawn is situated south of the President’s Residence and is used for official outdoor events like the state arrival ceremony and the annual egg-rolling contest, as well as informal barbecues. Thomas Jefferson graded the South Lawn and built mounds on either side of it, which direct a visitor’s view down a long south-facing axis.
West is the direction for outdoor gatherings at the end of a day. I designed this west-facing patio to enjoy the view and the late afternoon.
West - The Direction of “Name and Fame”
West is the direction of the setting sun and is associated with the end of the day and fellowship. High-canopied trees that lightly shade the west side of a house create the sweetest place to linger at the end of the day. In Vastu, the west is where “name and fame are made” – in other words, where we share time with friends. A “sunset terrace” basking in the long orange-red rays of the setting sun is the best place for socializing.
Water is also associated with west. The trickling water from a fountain cools the atmosphere on a sunny west-facing patio. The photo at right shows a fountain I designed that features shows a series of dramatic fountainheads along a western stone wall directing streams of water into a raised stone basin.
The colors that look especially vibrant in the west are rich reds and dark orange.
Water features are well suited for west-facing sites.
Follow “The Way of the Sun.” West is the direction of endings, so it makes sense that garden walks proceed in a “sunwise” or clockwise direction. Visitors travel a garden path from east to west, following the sun’s path in the sky. This is akin to the Hindu practice of circumambulation, where they circle special places in a clockwise direction. The reason for this circular walk has been attributed to symbolic causes, but I surmise that it may be due to the flow of geomagnetic forces. Just as an electrical generator works with a rotating coil to create a magnetic field, it may be that people walking in a circular motion intensifies the geomagnetic energy field within that space.