Ray of Light

17 years ago

I find myself contemplating how to best use light in the garden. Not lighting or shade and light, but the changing light of the seasons--winter's blue/white, the hazy soft light of spring, the hot blinding bright of summer or the golden tones of autumn.

I look at the low rays of the end of summer backlighting some grasses and I wonder how to better capitalize on that magic the rest of the year. Garden design books and classes talk about light and dark, warm and cool, bright and the many types of shade, but rarely do they explore the qualities of light.

How as a designer do you capitalize on these subtle changes?

Comments (4)

busyd95
17 years ago
Good question. I am not a designer, but like to play with it.

Certainly this is easier to do during the blooming seasons. One way I use light in a predominantly part-to full shade garden, is to selectively prune trees to provide shafts of light and then chose a stunning specimen to place where the light will hit it at certain times of day.

For the winter, I have just this season started adding crystal drops to a trellis (I wouldn't overdo this) to see what happens. Taking advantage of winter light would probably include making use of shadows, as well as reflection.
inkognito
17 years ago
Susan: most of the people you work for would have you committed to an asylum for believing in fairies the way you do. This is a subject we should talk about away from the glare of normality; you know my e-mail address. Ambient light is difficult to pin point, although we all know that it is there we can't really see it. It is best to include it in the general magic and not describe it.
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nandina
17 years ago
Miss rumphius,
I would agree that adding plants, such as grasses, to the garden in spots where they are backlighted by the rising or setting sun enhances the visual gardening experience. It is difficult to suggest specific plants as there are so many growing zones. One of my summer favorites is the red form of basil. Have you tried that one?

I chuckled reading pragmatic Ink's thoughts on fairies, though you did not mention them. Perhaps someday as he is designing he will notice one of them speaking into his ear with a soft voice offering interesting ideas. If one listens carefully you will hear them.
fragrans
17 years ago
i love watching the light move.... here is arid Colorado it's the only factor we can count on:) light and wind... so a lot of it has to do with time of day... the early morning spot to slurp tea and watch light reflections, shady spot for midday, late afternoon slant on moving surfaces, light hitting different textures is the first thing i see, the large flat surfaces of cottonwood leaves or fine cut tall grass blades..... full sunlight and resiny fragrance of baking mulch :) it's very much a local issue from the plains on west its about controlling the overabundance of it..... there are days when we all just scuttle from one shady spot to another like roaches..... coastal light has a totally different ambient range, but light coming in at acute angle, rather that high noon, is going to be the most expressive.