WINTER LESSONS
In the eighteenth century English landscape architect William Kent took the advice of his contemporary, poet Alexander Pope, and consulted “the genius of the place” when designing landscapes for his wealthy clients. By doing so Kent helped launch a design movement that eschewed formality in favor of creating landscapes that meshed with the surrounding countryside.
Since then, much has been written about “the genius of the place” or genius loci in Latin. For Kent and his successors, Humphrey Repton and Lancelot “Capability” Brown, aligning themselves with the genius of a particular place meant moving tons of earth, creating ponds and planting artistic copses of trees, all in an expansive–and expensive–attempt to create “natural” landscapes. This is akin to modern day fashion shoots where an army of stylists, hairdressers and make-up artists spend hours making runway models look as if they just got out of bed.
These days most of us don’t have great estates or the money to create “natural” features in our gardens. However, we can still consult the genius of our individual places. Winter’s end is a good time to do so, since there are no distracting weeds, or too-long grass, or struggling plants in the plant holding area. I try to evaluate at this time every year, walking around my garden with a pencil and paper and making notes of what I see.
Flowering plants need sun, usually a fair amount of it, to flower profusely. Everyone thinks they know where the sunniest spots are, but sometimes wishful thinking can triumph over reality. The best way to be sure is to take advantage of snow cover. The warmest, sunniest spots in your garden are the places where the snow melts first. Provided those places are not under deciduous trees, they are the best spots for tomatoes, roses, flowering perennials or sun-loving shrubs. If the most rapid melting occurs under deciduous trees, the locations are still wonderful for planting spring-flowering bulbs.
Conversely, the areas where the snow melts last should be the places of choice for the shade lovers and plants that need more than the usual amount of moisture. I am thinking especially of genera like astilbe that will sulk if they don’t have reasonably wet feet.
Take special note of the protected spots that are rarely touched by snow. Sometimes these are shaded by houses or other structures, but they are not usually shaded all day long. Protected places areas are often perfect for plants that are somewhat tender. It is traditional to train fruit trees and climbing roses, for example, on south facing walls.
Late winter weather can also help you spot drainage problems, which become obvious when ice or snow melts. If a particular area collects run-off on a regular basis, you can go to great and often expensive lengths to fix the drainage. If the problem is only aesthetic, fill the low spots with plants like blue flag iris–iris versicolor–or its cousin, the hybrid Louisiana iris. If you have the room, thirsty shrubs, like rhododendrons and hydrangea, also thrive in damp conditions.
The genius of the place also applies to trees, shrubs, garden hardscaping and structures. Right now none of them are obscured by foliage or flowers. Do you like the height and shapes of your shrubs? If not, trim them when the time is right. Spring flowering shrubs shouldn’t be pruned until after they bloom, but you can still make a note in your garden diary or other memory aid. Take a good look at your trees as well. Are some of them shedding copious numbers of branches in every windstorm? Plan to call an arborist or tree surgeon to make sure they are healthy.
Paths and walkways tend to become uneven over time as temperature changes cause the earth to heave. Make a note to level the uneven spots, or have a contractor do the task, once winter is over.
Consulting the genius of the place is an old idea that can be translated for a new time. Instead of imitating nature by rearranging the landscape, we can work with what we already have. Instead of making assumptions, we can use natural things like melting snow and fallen branches to educate ourselves about our properties. Every lot has microclimates and peculiarities that are dependent on sun and wind exposure, the siting of structures and other factors. Knowing your property’s singular qualities will help you have a singular garden.