How your view can impact your garden design.

A view for thinking

I was thinking about the importance of views as I stood, warm cup of coffee in hand, looking out across Tahoe Lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains (at the corner where California spoons Nevada ;-)

It's one of my favorite things to do while up in Tahoe.  Doesn't matter where you look, it's going to be beautiful.

I also find it relaxing to look off into the distance and ponder ideas.

But what if you don't like what you see from your window?

When what you see... just doesn't do it for you.

In the classic 1985 film A Room With A View, young Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter) sighs as she looks out of the window of their room at the Pensione Bertolini, seeing only the rather plain view down a side street of Florence, Italy.

"I thought we were going to see the Arno." -Lucy Honeychurch

(images from the movie trailer on imdb.com)

Would this view inspire you to venture out into the city? (Or inspire you to visit Florence in the first place?!)

Me neither.

Thankfully, the handsome George Emerson and his father step in to trade rooms... and the story truly begins.

Thinking about views

Here's a simple framework for thinking about views:

1. Where do you spend time inside?

2. What can you see from there?

3. What would you want to see from there?

As you are thinking about where you spend time, consider what you are doing and where specifically you stand or sit.  Also consider what you might want to see from that vantage point.

• In the kitchen, you may have a certain spot at the counter where you usually stand to prep food, look at mail, or have a conversation.  As you look up- where are the herbs to toss in with the pasta for dinner?

• In a living room, do you sit on the couch or stand by the fireplace?  Are you with friends who are visiting? As you look up- how are the kids doing outside?

Keeping track of views

Make notes of the most important views, what you see, and what you would like to see.

I use simple graphics to make notes of key views for easy reference.

Reviewing views

Then when it is time to design, your views can influence where major spaces or features should be located.

Taking the long view

What you see (or don't see) from your window can have a powerful effect on your connection to a place... or even the people you care about.

Thankfully George was perceptive enough to realize it.

Take a few minutes to really look at what you can see from your windows.

You may find it inspires new ideas for the garden living space you want to create, for yourself and for connecting with the people you care about.