Wednesday, May 12, 2010

All curves. . .then still more curves

Gardens... should be like lovely, well-shaped girls:  all curves, secret corners, unexpected deviations, seductive surprises and then still more curves.  ~H.E. Bates, A Love of Flowers

I don't think the curves that H.E. Bates refers to should be just in the shape of the garden as a whole, but in the individual plants as well.   I love the sense of motion in plants.  On my drive home from work each day I pass a home whose lawn is bordered in manicured shrubs.  Those shrubs have been pruned into precise geometric shapes - entirely unnatural and stiff, with no sense of motion.  I prefer that my flowers and plants look at least a little wild,  looking as if they might decide to start dancing.  (Maybe that's because I love to dance.)  Or as if they need a little hair gel. (Maybe because I have unruly hair.)  And I really love the  graceful flowers, tall and slim.  Those I'm jealous of!

5 comments:

Amy said...

That's funny ... it was so windy today and I saw a lot of flowing grasses. I thought a whole bed of them would look like water.
Those are pretty curvy blooms...what is the second and third photo? I like them. :)

Ginny said...

The second photo is actually the remnants of a clematis bloom after all the petals fell off. The third is a Veronica Speedwell.

Gary said...

Hi Ginny,
I spent too many years trimming shrubs into formal shapes for Compton Acres. I'm like you, I want the simplicity of their natural shape and flow now. Nice pictures.

Sandy W said...

Good pick of quote by H.E. Bates. And same here, I prefer plants and trees in gardens with a more wild, natural look than totally neat and perfectly pruned.

Annelie said...

I like the Bates words. And I have to agree with you in that I also think that he means individual plants as well. I'm guessing he fancied anything with curves.
I don't care to much for the very formal trimming of plants, unless the whole garden is formal and perhaps belonging to an estate.
For a small house like mine, everything has its natural shape.

Thanks for your visit today!

Annelie