Like our homes, gardens are an expression of who we are. If you are living in a newer neighbourhood, you will know that houses tend to look are similar. 

As you go down some newer streets, very few houses stand out from one another. So how do we create a space that speaks of and to its surroundings, one that feels special and unique?

We can do this by giving your garden a sense of place, meaning that you are linking your garden to your home and its surroundings.

Your garden design reflects your personality, complements the age and architecture of your house, blends into the community and uses plants suited to the local climate and your on-site conditions. Your garden needs to look like it belongs with the surroundings, like it has always been there.

REFLECTING UNIQUE NATURAL ELEMENTS

Make sure you are using natural elements that are indigenous to your region. For example, if you lived in Northern Ontario, you might use more granite rocks in your garden.

If you live on the Niagara Escarpment the rocks of choice would be limestone moss rocks.

What first drew you to the area where you live? Was it the mature trees or a lake or river? Does your property back on to a natural wooded area or ravine? Incorporate these elements into your garden.

One property that I designed was located on Lake Ontario and included their own private beach, so it was already a beautiful setting. 

But to help tie in their landscape to the lake and at the same time address a drainage issue, I introduced a dry riverbed that meanders throughout the yard, leading the eye toward the lake. By using smooth beach stones, it helped to make it a natural transition from garden to beach to lake. 

Another way that I have incorporated a sense of place by using natural features is to take advantage of a neighbouring woodland. 

When a property backs on to a forested area, I often introduce native trees and shrubs along the back of the garden and just gradually space plants further apart, so it appears that the forest was naturally petering out. 

A sloped area could lend itself to a natural looking rock garden or a waterfall/pond area. A waterfall would normally wind its way down a hillside. So set a water feature in the right place with the right plants and some boulders to create the illusion that it has existed for a long time. 

Boulders can also be placed strategically along a path, forcing a path to change direction, as if the stone has always been there and people had to work around such a timeless and “immovable' object. 

REFLECTING YOUR ARCHITECTURE

Another wonderful way of giving your garden a sense of place is to reflect the architecture of your home. 

You will often hear that your garden is an extension of your home – and it truly is. Just as you have furnished and decorated the inside of your home to match the architecture of it and reflect your style, the outside of your home should also bring this out.  Here are some suggestions.

Repeat some of the lines of the house in the actual shape of beds and hard surfaces.  If you have a more contemporary style home with strong horizontal lines, you can mimic those lines in the shape of your garden and walkways by doing more geometric shapes as opposed to curved beds. 

If your front entranceway has a curved archway over the front door, pick up on this arch and repeat the same curve in the shaping of front steps or landings. It seems like a very subtle thing to do, but your eye does notice it and it gives you the sense that things are working together harmoniously.

A second way of reflecting your architecture is by repeating some of the same materials. Imagine a more modern stucco home with strong lines. By incorporating a low stucco wall out in the garden, you have created a sense of place.

REFLECTING YOUR PERSONALITY

When creating a sense of place, make sure your choices reflect your personality.

Think about the way you want to spend your summer days. You want to make your garden a place that reminds you of joyful times or of certain people from your past.

What childhood memories do you have of gardens? For me, the fragrance of different plants such as lily-of-the-valley and peonies remind me of my parent’s garden.

There is a rose called Double Delight that also reminds me of my grandma because its scent is the same as the hand cream that she always used. 

Take some time to think about how you can add a “sense of place” to your garden.

Joanne Young is a Niagara-on-the-Lake garden expert and coach. See her website at joanneyoung.ca.