Articles

Design is Influenced By Experiences - Experience More
The Benefits of Gardening
Gardening and Sustainability
Taking Care

Design is Influenced By Experiences - Experience More
By Laurie Van Zandt
Ogden Valley News - December 15, 2004

A recent trip to London and Paris with the Association of Professional Landscape Designers provided me with a unique opportunity to explore centuries old, traditional English gardens; the strong planterly forms and dramatic contrasts of light and shade in Anthony Paul’s Sculptural Garden ‘The Black and White Garden’; Julie Toll’s contemporary, natural style executed with wildflower meadows and flowering lawns; the subtle, watercolor gardens of Claude Monet; and the exciting gardens at Citroen Parc, where architecture and nature, French Baroque and modern geometry, urban and rural, collide to form incredible public spaces. Probably the most exciting gardens were the show gardens at Chateau de Chaumont in France, featuring thirty fantastic, surreal exhibits representing ‘Chaos - (Order and Disorder in the Garden)’, It was an incredibly stimulating and influential experience, with unconstrained designs full of adventure, imagination, interpretation and risk.

Lectures by numerous international designers provided insight into the future of fine gardening and landscape design. Two distinct, universal trends emerged from the sharing of ideas with such disparate artists as Dan Pearson, designer of the romantic gardens of Torrecchia in Italy, new rooftop developments in Tokyo, and walled gardens in Yorkshire; Giles Clement, landscape architect behind many famous French gardens and France’s leading ecologist; and Tony Haywood, whose Conceptual Gardens utilize horticultural installations as fine art, and who encouraged us to think, dream, create, expand, push, reach and adventure.

These trends seem particularly applicable to the severe environs of Northern Utah. Sustainability was a recurrent theme among the speakers, as well as being evident in many of the gardens we toured. Sustainable gardens are gardens where the designer is conscious of the landscape’s impact on the surrounding area. They utilize recycled materials, as well as renewable, local resources. In particular, sustainable gardens include plants that are appropriate to the climate and local growing conditions. This type of design encourages landscapes that leave a gentle mark on the environment. Designers in Germany are realizing the value of sustainable landscapes, and they are being installed frequently in the form of wildflower meadows, especially in urban and public settings. These gardens are virtually self-sustaining and maintenance free. Local wildflowers are chosen for their seasonal color and interest, and it has been found that familiarity is breeding acceptance of the meadow’s “down time” when seed heads dominate, and viewers are learning to appreciate the rites of passage and the return of spring.

The second trend explored at the conference was the appreciation of a “sense of place” as a focus for creativity. The Ogden Valley is rich with design inspiration and symbolism in the form of our mountains, streams, rock formations, seasons, and wildlife, and an acknowledgement of the Valley’s farming heritage can be made through contemporary use of local and traditional materials and plants.

An awareness of the human impact on the natural world is becoming increasingly important, and it is gratifying to see the international design community accept and embrace this reality by focusing on solutions through sustainability and sense of place. The lessons afforded by designers on the cutting edge of landscape design can, and should, be adapted to meet the particular challenges of landscaping in Northern Utah.

The Benefits of Gardening
Laurie Van Zandt
Ogden Valley News, Volume XII Issue III

Very often when I sit down with homeowners to discuss their landscape design needs, one of the first things they say that they want is “no maintenance”. That being ruled out, they will compromise with “low maintenance”. While there are planting schemes that can be considered low maintenance, it seems that what they are really saying is that they are not used to enjoying their gardens, and they therefore don’t want to be in their garden any more than necessary. A wonderful, joyous garden will beckon you out into it. You may discover the gardener within yourself, and all the wonderful benefits that that brings.

I love being in the garden; I walk my garden every day, weather permitting, and even sometimes not permitting. I touch, I smell, I observe, I listen, I worry, I rejoice. Yesterday I saw the very first buds unfurl on my crabapple tree. If I get close enough, I can inhale the sweet scent of the Mount Hood daffodils. The lilacs are ready to explode at any time, and while the daffodils are waning, the tulips are waxing! There seem to be so many birds this year, with so may voices raised in song. In my garden, I feel connected to the natural world. It satisfies a creative, nurturing urge to tend living things, to breath in the open air, and to enjoy physical activity. My garden is me.

Very often the state of my garden seems to parallel the state of “me”.
When we garden, we cultivate the right hemisphere of our brain, which is primarily concerned with aesthetic appreciation and intuitive thought. Gardens give us a higher level of mental, spiritual and physical well being. Gardening has long been recognized for its therapeutic powers. Many hospitals now have ‘healing’ gardens. They are used in treatment for rehabilitation and the physically and mentally disabled. Retirement homes regularly encourage their residents to help with the gardening chores and to cultivate a plot of land. Numerous experiments have shown that people are not only happier when they maintain some contact with the nature, but also demonstrably healthier. Even getting dirty is good for you. Bacteria in the soil triggers the defensive immune reactions. And while stress is not new; it is a part of the human experience; what has changed is that we rarely get a chance to escape from it. Gardening slows you down, brings you peace of mind, and gives you time for reflection. It serves as an escape from feelings of tension, anxiety and alienation.

In the garden, we learn very important principles of ecology - that everything is connected to everything else. In healthy gardens we will see an abundance of birds and beneficial insects. We learn about the cycle of life, and will take care to not destroy part of the ecology on which all life depends. In gardens, where nothing is hurried, we learn patience. We learn to appreciate the daily and weekly and seasonal states of flux that are inherent in gardening. We gain self esteem for gardening triumphs, and humbleness from knowing that we are not in ultimate control. By being an active participant in the garden, we become aware of problems before they get out of control.

We express ourselves in the way we design, plant, tend and use our gardens. By creating a garden that reflects you, it will evolve as you evolve. As it evolves, it will provide private pleasure as well as become a gathering place for entertaining friends and family. I encourage you to discover the healing, restorative power of the garden.

Gardening and Sustainability
Laurie Van Zandt, Guest Commentary, Ogden Valley News, March 1, 2007

On January 20th , 21st and 22nd of this year, the Utah Nursery and Landscape Association (UNLA) held its annual conference in Sandy. Among noteworthy topics at this year’s conference were organic gardening, natives in the landscape, medicinal herbs and ‘smart’ irrigation systems. Important speakers were Dr. Fred Montague from the Department of Biology at the University of Utah, and Eden’s own, Mel Bartholomew, inventor of Square Foot Gardening.

Dr. Montague spoke on the role of home gardening and its positive impact on the environment in a time when 78,660,000 people are added annually to the Planet Earth and our resources are being depleted above sustainable levels. Montague noted that “feeding ourselves in a just and sustainable way (is) perhaps the single most important challenge of this century“. By growing our own food in a sustainable way, we eat healthier food, enhance the fertility of the soil, can produce next year’s seeds by using ‘heirloom’ plants, provide for other organisms such as earthworms, algae, spiders, insects birds, etc., and save the wilderness by growing food where people already live and have the resources to do so.

Mel Bartholomew’s method of gardening uses considerably less space, water, and seed than traditional gardening practices, up to eighty percent less, while producing the same yield. It can be achieved in very little space, so it is ideal for residential areas. By starting with a weed free soil mix, his method is inheritantly pesticide and fertilizer free. Mel has always been an advocate of organic gardening. What both Mel Bartholomew and Fred Montague promote are sustainable gardening practices.
In a broader sense, sustainability is the ability to achieve continuing economic prosperity while protecting natural systems. At the heart of sustainability is a goal to provide a high quality of life for people into the indefinite future. Achieving sustainable solutions calls for stewardship.

With respect to ornamental landscaping, a sustainable landscape would be one that is capable of thriving with minimal long-term effect on the environment. Plants selected for their ability to flourish in our heavy clay, alkaline soil, and that require little investment in the use of time, labor, water, fertilizers, pesticides and imported soil, will tend to be sustainable. Sustainable landscapes will use the features of the site: boulders and rocks, retention of native vegetation, allow natural contours to remain, and maintain natural waterways. Our traditional landscapes produce wastes which most of us never consider: plant trimmings, polluted run-off from chemicals and fertilizers, and water lost by evaporation.

The over-riding principle of sustainable landscape design is creating a garden that conserves resources. By applying the following principles a landscape can be created that is environmentally responsible:

Careful analysis of the site
Consideration of soil composition, slope, and need for amendments
Use of green wastes once the garden is installed
Use of organic mulch
Practicing xeriscape design principals
Use of ‘smart’ irrigation systems
Proper maintenance
By looking at site development, including landscaping, as an integral part of the local environment; and by using sustainable design principles, we can preserve and promote regional identity, culture, ecology, and create a sense of place.

-Laurie Van Zandt is owner, designer of The Ardent Gardener Landscape Design
and is on the Education Committee for the Utah Nursery and Landscape Association

Taking Care
Laurie Van Zandt, The Ogden Valley News, November 15, 2006

Over and over again, I hear people new to the area comment on how absolutely beautiful the Ogden Valley is. I have lived here for almost six years, and constantly have my breath taken away by the incredible beauty that surrounds us daily. How lucky are we to call this place home? Doubtless, old timers feel the same way. As the Valley swells with the sounds and sights of construction, how do we retain this natural and historical work of art so that we can all continue to enjoy this scenic splendor? How? By taking care.

By taking care in our driving so that we allow wildlife as safe a passage as possible. Care to ensure that our pesticide, herbicide and waste practices do as little damage to the environment as possible. Go organic. Recycle. Drive gas efficient vehicles. Use our resources wisely. Minimize our outdoor lighting, so that we can all enjoy the desert night sky. Take care to balance our right to a view, with that of our neighbors. Care that the profile and placement of our homes allow the mountains and hills and native vegetation to dominate the ridgelines. Care that the exteriors of our houses blend in with the colors of the surrounding vegetation. Care that our plant choices mimic and complement the incredibly, subtle offerings of buff and tan, silver and gold, steel blues and dark greens, and autumn hues of golden oranges, rusts and sunshine that blanket our local hillsides.

In a previous article, I had written about sustainability and a sense of place. Construction and development is progressing at a rapid, rapid pace here in Ogden Valley. The imperative to sustain this valley has reached a critical point. Maybe it is time to slow down enough to consider the impact of our development on this land. Can homes be better designed to blend into the landscape? Can homes be downsized to lessen their impact and to use less of our natural resources? Can architecture and landscape design reflect the rich heritage and natural beauty of Ogden Valley?

At the bottom of the valley, here and there you can still find pioneer cabins squatting low to the ground. Fields of hay and alfalfa follow the lay of the land, with old farm houses surrounded by porches and lilacs, rambling roses and junipers, oversized vegetable gardens and giant, gnarled apple trees. Surrounding this verdant checkerboard are rolling hills of Big Tooth maple, chokecherry, juniper, hawthorn, silver sage, mules ear, and a myriad of beautiful grasses. Higher up we find Gambel Oak, Oregon Grape, scatterings of Mountain Mahogany, geranium and aster, in addition to the Big Tooth and sage. Higher still we find fir and aspen, Limber pine and spruce, serviceberry, snowberry, elderberry and thimbleberry, columbine and penstemon. If we can appreciate the unique beauty of each community of vegetation, we will take care to plant our gardens so that they compliment the elevation that they are in. To not try and create an alpine look in sage brush community, or an desert look in a riverfront community. A plant palette need not be entirely native to fit into its environment. Ornamental plants can be used that mimic the texture, feel, color and size of natives. Care can be taken to leave as much of the existing, native plants as undisturbed as practically possible.

There are homes in the Valley whose owner’s do strive to have their homes blend into the native landscape. I have had the pleasure to work with some of these people. As you drive around, take the time to look. Notice which homes blend in, and why. These people care.

I will venture to guess that most residents here will say that they care about the Valley, That they care about preserving the uniqueness that is Eden and Huntsville and Nordic Valley and Liberty. To really care, we must act. We all must do our part to ensure that we are leaving gentle marks upon the land. It starts with each one of us doing our part today and using our influence to shape the Ogden Valley of tomorrow.