THINKING ABOUT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Figure 7.1 Keukenhof Gardens, Lisse, the Netherlands.
visual interest or color can be used to complement a building or other structure. Plants that display seasonal color can be used to add an element of drama or visually highlight the spaces against a building or space within a grouping of buildings and along a road corridor, or at the edges of a park and greenbelt. One example is the use of the brilliant red and orange colors of Japanese maples set within a backdrop of the dark greens of conifer trees or aligned with London plane or oak tree species. The aligning or positioning of plants considering seasonal color changes of leaves and flowers can dramatically change campus and urban spaces or along parkway corridors that draw people to these spaces. They are seasonal events that people look forward to and will travel long distances to see. Consider the annual spring event of flowering of cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. or the fall color of maple trees in Vermont and Maine. The tree-lined boulevards of Europe are visually enlivened with the drama of seasonal color changes that draw people to these places and make the color display that occurs special times of the year that residents look forward to and of course value and enjoy.
Changing Seasons There are some parts of the world that enjoy four distinct seasons (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) while other regions may experience just two (wet and dry). The literature is replete with songs, musings, poems, and stories about or based on the seasons. The seasons—regardless of the number—punctuate the year with changes in climate, color, the arrival and departure of wildlife. The changing seasons serve as a visual timepiece noting when to plant, nurture, and harvest. The changes that vegetation makes throughout the year give physical expression to other seasonal events. As we notice, the swelling of the leaf buds of trees with the coming of spring triggers anticipation of relief from the harshness of winter. Leaf color changes in the fall signal autumn and the time of harvest. The landscapes, unlike the structures of architects and engineers, have a rhythm that infuses feelings of anticipation, relief, abundance, sadness, and joy. Consider how the lyrics in Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto No. 1 in E Major, The Four Seasons (1720) express the dynamics of changing seasons: Springtime is upon us. The birds celebrate her return with festive song, and murmuring streams are softly caressed by the breezes. Thunderstorms, those heralds of spring, roar, casting their dark mantle over heaven, Then they die away to silence, and the birds take up their charming songs once more. 140
