I am fortunate to work in a number of Perth’s most beautiful gardens, and all are very different. Some are contemporary, some are classical, some are quite simple, some are complex, some are very big, requiring a number of gardeners, whilst some are the size of small rooms, some are very modest in their ambitions, some are statements of considerable importance. But all have two things in common:
Jim Cregan
Firstly, they all express, or are attempting to express, what is generally described as a ‘sense of place’. That is, there is a deliberate intention to create a garden that reflects the unique circumstances of the site, the light, the borrowed landscape, the natural materials at hand, the surrounding architecture, that incorporates something of the history of the place, and which, when combined with awareness, allows the garden to speak with an individual voice.
Secondly, typically there is a willingness on the part of the owners to be involved with me in the garden, in a relationship of creativity and mutual respect.
WORKING CLOSELY WITH GARDEN OWNERS
It is this second aspect that I consider the most important, and consequently the most productive. I like working closely with the owners to create something special. Indeed, most of the gardens that I referred to above have undergone considerable change over time, through a process of development and refinement. Sometimes, this has involved significant alterations, including removing inappropriate materials.
But sometimes, it has simply meant the more balanced use of existing materials, introducing a sense of harmony and unity into a garden. Frequently, it is a combination of both.
A GARDEN NEEDS TIME TO MATURE
One of the least understood elements in a garden is time. Most gardens take at least five years to begin to mature although the introduction of a strong initial structure allows that process to occur less noticeably. But time spent in a garden is also valuable. For all a gardener’s skill a beautiful garden remains a place of subtlety and, like any good relationship, the constant revelation of previously unseen aspects. Regular maintenance then, is also really important, not just in terms of care for the garden, but also from the perspective of getting to know a garden really well.
NEED TO ‘READ’ A GARDEN
Being involved in the maintenance of a garden, then, is also important for me, as it allows me to understand a garden and its needs in a more sensitive and complete way, and respond accordingly. It also helps me to ‘read’ a garden, in order to make changes that really suit the garden, rather than reflect a current fashion.
GUEST POST BY JIM CREGAN
Jim is a gardener, artist, writer, poet, and creator of beautiful, healthy, outdoor spaces.
He is often assisted by his friend Bill (a very wise standard poodle).
Jim Cregan can be contacted via the Swanbourne business centre
or by mobile : 0415 174 968 and email : cregan.jim@gmail.comm
WOW what a wonderful article I can feel the love of the garden and the genuine knowledge of the outdoors.
Janice – thanks – you are right! Having watched our garden change over the past 18 months from a haphazard group of small gardens into a harmonious flow of spaces from vegetables to fruit trees to pond vegetation to native gardens, I respect Jim’s ability to translate his vision into practical reality. He adds whimsical touches that bring humour into the plan.
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Yes, it is almost impossible to talk about gardens except on their own terms. Individual gardens can be identified as belonging to a particular ‘style’, but even then it is rare for the best ones not to have their own unique features that sets them apart.
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