2018 NORTHWEST FLOWER AND GARDEN SHOW
Celebrate Form: Art Imitates Nature
Designed and Presented by
FANCY FRONDS NURSERY & ALBE RUSTICS
“Art is only nature operating with the aid of the instruments she has made.”
-French Philosopher Baron d’Holbach
Main Elements:
Our garden features a selection of specimen plants displayed within a highly structured design conceived to showcase man-made geometric shapes that echo natural and fractal forms found in nature. The centerpiece is a towering trellis made of repeating isosceles triangles, with crossbars that create a series of trapezoids. The trellis is joined at the top into an equilateral triangle, which is further broken into three more equilateral triangles with a circular disk in the center by the overhead support structure. This geometry is echoed in the path design below the structure, which incorporates a large circular disk with three radial paths that mimic the equilateral layout. Pebble-filled rain gutters, bordered by painted wood, accentuate these linear pathways, converging in the disc at the center of the triangular trellis pavilion.
One thing we love about this highly geometric design is that the negative space below and between the elements of the trellis also forms large vertical isosceles triangles, and the overall layout of the trellis forms yet another equilateral triangle with a disc in its center. Everywhere you look there are triangles within circles within triangles! The overall effect creates a garden that has a sense of balance and symmetry, showcasing repeating patterns in both positive and negative space.
Surrounding the garden’s center textures of natural foliage blend with man-made geometric shapes that echo natural forms found in nature. Secondary geometric elements are grouped throughout the garden in clusters of prime numbers. An elegant trio of home-made plant stands made of repurposed materials (stainless steel bowls, a bit of wood and, believe it or not, sewer piping!) mimic the stalks and sepals of flower structures, crowned by sub-tropical arrangements. Two tall, tree-like triangular obelisks mimic the forms of tall, elegant conifers, while a triad of tumble-weed like spheres (made of recycled barrel bands) reflect the rounded habits of globe-like dwarf conifers placed throughout the garden.
The overall footprint of the entire garden forms an octagon, with the front edges stepping in gradually utilizing a series of home-made cube-like planting boxes that are filled with moss and rocks, while the sides of the garden are contained using beautiful hexagonal and pentagonal basalt tubes provided by Marenakos.
Botanical Elements:
The main planting scheme is that of a temperate garden. With the exception of the Angel’s Trumpets (Brugmansia) and a few begonias, most of the plants in our garden can be grown outdoors here in Western Washington without winter protection. Sub-tropical and tender plants requiring winter protection are arranged in containers so that they may be easily moved indoors during the winter. Large botanical elements such as trees, camellias, and angel’s trumpets are arranged symmetrically in the garden to accentuate the overall bilateral nature of the design. The pathways are uniformly lined with grasses and daffodils to accentuate the symmetry of the pathways and pavilion. However, nature loves a little variation, and even things that seem symmetrical rarely have true supersymmetry! Tipping our hat to this “near perfection,” lower growing plants like ferns and one-of-a-kind conifers are planted in asymmetrical groupings to add variety and texture, while bulbs and flowers are placed in near symmetrical patterns but utilizing different color schemes on each side of the garden to break the predictability of exact symmetry.
While this design is highly structured, it is actually quite simple and approachable, and can easily be applied to any garden. There is no right or wrong use of geometry: it is simply a tool nature has given us to celebrate the variety of forms that surround us everyday!
Take-home ideas: A geometric design focus;
innovative use of re-purposed materials
PLANTS
FANCY FRONDS NURSERY ~ Retail/Mail-order Fern Nursery. Extensive selection of garden ferns for every garden environment from dry shade to moist sun. Open for sales and consultations by appointment year-round. Contact: (360) 793-1472 or email: fancyfronds@gmail.com. Online catalog and information at: www.fancyfrondsnursery.com
CASCADE CUTS ~ Many thanks to Paul Troutman for quality bulbs and perennials since 1989 and to the O’Loughlin Trade Show for providing a generous financial stipend. Contact: (360) 671-6310 – www.cascadecuts.biz
PLANTS NORTHWEST ~ Wholesale grower specializing in large trees. Contact: (425) 481-5911 - www.plantsnorthwest.net
TISSUES & LINERS ~ Wholesale grower supplying Northwest nurseries and landscape professionals with a wide array of perennials and vines. Contact: (425) 885-5050 - www.tandlnursery.com
STRUCTURE AND PROPS
ALBE RUSTICS ~ Reclaimed wood imaginatively fashioned into functional furniture and garden structures. Custom orders welcomed. Call for information on current retail outlets. Contact: (360) 331-4115 – email: ponds@whidbey.com.
AW POTTERY ~ Stunning inventory of wonderful wholesale pottery and ceramic art. A long time favorite to work with. Contact: (425) 712-8816 - www.awpottery.com
DEEZINES ~ Elegant metal sculptures and garden structures. Ray created our metal obelisks. Contact: (503) 620-2256 or www.rayhustondeezines.com
ISLAND RECYCLING ~ All of the recycled barrel bands we used to make the spheres came from Island Recycling. The best place to discover junk to repurpose! They have been generously donating whatever we find that is perfect to build or decorate our displays with for years. Contact: (360) 331-1727 - www.islandrcycling.com
BUSINESS SPONSORS
Thank you to these companies who make the show gardens magically come alive!
O’LOUGHLIN TRADE SHOWS ~ Thank you for their generous support in keeping the Northwest Flower and Garden Show a vital part of Pacific NW Horticulture. Contact: www.gardenshow.com
MARENAKOS ROCK CENTER ~ They “rock” at setting us up in style. Explore the many choices of stone at their rock yard in Issaquah. Contact: (425) 392-3313 - www.marenakos.com
MUTUAL MATERIALS ~ Their many affordable paving products make patios and walkways easy to create in the short building time we have. Contact: 1-888-688-8250 - www.mutualmaterials.com
SAWDUST SUPPLY ~ Truly the most essential product for our garden creations: sawdust and mulch. Without them we couldn’t create the magic! Contact: (206) 388-2992 - www.sawdustsupply.com
Extra Special Thanks to our many wonderful volunteers:
Felix Jones, Joshua Bathke and Jeneé Beaurain - trellis and set construction, stonework, planting, mulching and general labor
Barbara & Company and Mary Kate - mulching, planting, finishing touches
Image credits: Fractal Botanical Mandala #022 (front page) courtesy of Daniel McPheeters as part of his thousand mandala project www.sculptedimage.com
Tibetan Mandala (page 2) courtesy of Dora Alis, Mandalas Collection by Dora Alis www.supercoloring.com/coloring-pages/tibetan-mandala-with-triangle
