THE PERFECT GARDEN OUR COVER STORY
What makes a garden "perfect"? Is there a magic recipe or does it just take that X Factor? Steve Taylor, Director at COS Design, examines what it takes to create a garden such as their award-winning Sorrento Project, as featured on the cover of this edition of "The Best". Photography by Erik Holt.
Great gardens come in many different forms, styles and sizes but a great garden doesn’t just happen, and some gardens don’t appeal to everyone. The perfect garden is one that fulfills the dreams and the desires of the people who own, view and use that garden every day. The consensus of the masses becomes an irrelevant point of view. Whether a formal garden is clipped daily or a coastal garden is left to grow wild, freeform and natural, the beauty of the garden only needs to be in the eyes of the owner. Gardens simply need to reflect and compliment the personality and lifestyle of the owner. However, there are some general design rules that need to be followed. Firstly, the garden does need to enhance and belong in and around the architecture and interiors of the home from an aesthetic perspective. Secondly, it needs to provide convenient, functionality through good design. Usable zones in and around the green elements that enhance the lifestyle requirements of the homeowners are essential. Every project is different, and in a slight contradiction to the above, if a garden is being created purely for capital improvement then the consensus of the masses does become relevant and the design needs to reflect this.
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