The topic of "garden style" comes up often in gardening circles, traditionally a region, culture and/or ecology of a place, including familiar ones like English style, Mediterranean or Japanese. It is also used to described naturalistic, native/indigenous, wildlife friendly, meadow lands, screed, alpine or entirely eclectic based on one's own style and special interests. Today, traditional garden styles have borrowed substantively from each other and the purest of historical/regional gardens are almost museum pieces, rigorously maintained as cultural historic sites.
And then there is "Island Style". What is an island style garden, you ask? Well, I'm not exactly sure either but you will know one when you see one. It has a special quality, aged-in-placeness, connection to its natural environment and informal charm that is very much its own. A small island like Bowen or any exposed coastal setting will provide the right context, however "island and coast" is not the only defining characteristic. So what is?
While exploring this idea with others, words were offered to describe the informal garden that is "island style". These were " authentic, an openness, subtly, neighborly, artistic, quirky, creature-friendly, relaxed, organic, bio-diverse, natural, eclectic, random, harmonious, flowy, spontaneous, looks to nature for inspiration, with stone and water." The term "naturalistic" could apply if defined as "A naturalistic garden combines a gardener's needs and desires with Nature's dictates: it cannot be premeditated because it's inherent beauty and authenticity is inextricably linked to the landscape on which it is created". This at least helps explain why I have so much difficulty rendering drawings for an island garden - it resists rendering, it evolves in place.
So, in order to classify a garden that defies classification, here are a few characteristics one might observe about an island style garden.
The look and feel. An island style garden has a "wild'ish" look that resists containment, garden trends and conventional maintenance. It feels settled (in place), has a light ecological footprint on the land and is visually harmonious with its natural surroundings. Plants are chosen for horticultural suitability and visual compatibility. Low, spreading garden beds inspired by shapes of adjacent bluffs, ravines, moss berms, grassy knolls and distant mountains usually works best (always look for context). Visitors will comment that the new garden looks like it "had always been there". Planting mimics nature's randomness and gravity (i.e. spilling from bluff levels in flows as if naturally seed-dropped over many years). It borrows views of near and far vistas. It keeps deer out and children/dogs in with open, low visibility wire (green) fences that allow the garden to flow through rather than to end abruptly at the fence. An island style garden is a friendly, neighborly one that openly shares its charms and beauty with the community at large.
Uses local indigenous materials. A typical characteristics of "island style" is use of local and/or similar materials (e.g., local quarry stone, crushed on-island gravel for driveways/paths/patios, wood mulch for woodland paths, sustainably harvested cedar/fir/hemlock, moss covered stones and fallen logs, driftwood, shells). Often these materials are already on your property and can be easily incorporated into a new garden. Granted, there will always be a need for non-local, imported materials for building landscapes, but island style seeks the most natural context with its surroundings.
Plants and Plantings. Ecologically sound gardens compliment nature by planting in "layered compositions" rather than singular plants (unless a feature specimen). Nature's planting is completely random, yet combines plants for mutual benefit in layered compositions of trees, shrubs, perennials and ground covers. This has added benefits of preserving moisture and discouraging browsing. Mulching is best using crushed gravel, bark, compost or fern bracken or straw for a vegetable garden. Integration of native plants with introduced garden plants create a more diverse, semi-indigenous garden. A subtle garden isn't boring - just design for seasonal change and annual "events" using ephemerals; plants that appear briefly and go dormant (e.g. massed snowdrops, crocuses full of bees, bluebells or cyclamen), bird crazy amelanchier as berries ripen, the glorious pure white flowers of Mt. Fuji cherry, autumn color and humming bird's early feast on native ribes. These are the magic moments of the garden.
Wildlife, Habitat and Conservation Focus. Island style gardens put special emphasis on conservation by planting gardens that help foraging wildlife, using plants with high food value, nectar, berries, seeds and shelter. Creating habitat in your garden is supremely helpful to the "little life" of the garden, including dozens of bird species and even the doe-eyed 4 legged kind for tenderhearted owners. Intentionally enhancing habitat in your garden and pond helps to restore and enhance, although not replace, natural habitat lost through development and pollution.
Food - What is More Local Than Home? Food has always been an important aspect of Island Gardens. Pleased to see it now coming back into style in a big way with a whole new generation of home garden food growers. Organic is in. Even root cellars are cool again.
Art and the Arts. It goes without saying that an island garden would be a muse to creativity and art. Many a poem, novel, painting, sculpture and love found life in the fertile ground, ambience and fragrance of an island garden.
In conclusion, I think I can say that an "island style" garden is not so much "a thing" as it is a feeling and a philosophy. A place of beauty, spirituality, creativity, healing and simple pleasure for us and an oasis of conservation, shelter and forage for wild creatures. A successful melding of indigenous and non-indigenous plants in ways that are not harmful. A patch to grow one's own fresh food in small, benign ways.
And, I think most of all, representing a way of life and a place to express love of where one lives.
SIDEBAR in small type in a box
A few tips for designing a harmonious and healthy island style garden.
· look for windswept "scruffy" plants that appear to have gone a few rounds with Mother Nature
· plant randomly; nature doesn't plant in rows, triangles, squares or 6" apart
· mimic nature for stone and plant compositions
· use local indigenous materials (or similar) whenever possible
· minimize the amount of hardscape
· work with existing land/topography vs leveling or overdecking, whenever possible
· soften new stone walls mixing old stones/moss
· gently feather soil edges into grade, create low, spreading berms reflecting surrounding natural shapes
· keep garden areas visually open and integrated with natural areas and community
· always look for context: in nature, near and distant views, house architecture, bluffs, water sources
· consider needs of indigenous creature-life
· avoid placing utilities, septic fields and outbuildings where they dominate the landscape
· avoid using chemicals for weeds, fungal and bug control. These toxic products only affect your garden but also neighbors, shared water aquifers and common lands
· avoid purchasing plants grown with neonicotinoids as they are harmful to bees (ask at the nursery/store)
· do not plant invasive plants with potential to damage vulnerable ecosystems or infest your garden
· remove top 1" of soil from pots before planting to reduce spread of introduced weeds
· careful purchasing "discounted" plants as they may be diseased and carry pathogens or soil pests
