Heaven is a Garden. Jan Johnsen
the portal. The idea of the sun being in front of us, drawing us in, is similar to the “moth theory” of the 20th-century Miami Beach hotel architect Morris Lapidus, who noted that people, like moths, are attracted to light. This reasoning may be the basis of the “law of orientation” in Indian Vastu (like Chinese feng shui) which recommends that front doors, town entrances and garden gates all face east. In fact, the word orientation means towards the Orient, or towards the east.
An east-facing gate directs the view within.
An east-facing gate directs the morning light to highlight whatever is near the entrance. I used this to great effect when I designed this tall gate and stone columns. The 6-foot high arched gate, flanked on both sides by tall pillars, faces east; in the morning, the sun’s rays travel through it, spotlighting a golden thread leaf False Cypress tree (Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera Aurea’). The lighting effect is enticing.
South - The Direction of Celebration and Flowers
South is the home of the midday sun and, according to feng shui principles, is the direction that resonates with radiance and light. The south part of a property is the natural place for an open field, a large lawn or a flower garden. It is a good spot for celebrations and can feature strong colors such as red and purple in brightly colored banners or foliage. A border of hot colors – yellow, orange, red – also looks wonderful in a south-facing garden.
The south side of a building or property is also well suited for anything to do with light or fire. It is direction of the fire element in feng shui; therefore, a garden torch, light fixture, fire pit or barbeque is at home here. Interestingly, Vastu considers land that is elevated in the south and southwest to be the kind of terrain that bestows prosperity.
An open south-facing area features sun–loving Knock Out® roses, ornamental grasses and Sargent’s juniper (Juniperus chinensis var. sargentii). The south part of a property is the natural place for celebrations and flower gardens.
The South Lawn of the White House uses the qualities of the south perfectly. The expansive lawn is situated south of the President’s Residence and is used for official outdoor events like the state arrival ceremony and the annual egg-rolling contest, as well as informal barbecues. Thomas Jefferson graded the South Lawn and built mounds on either side of it, which direct a visitor’s view down a long south-facing axis.
West is the direction for outdoor gatherings at the end of a day. I designed this west-facing patio to enjoy the view and the late afternoon.
West - The Direction of “Name and Fame”
West is the direction of the setting sun and is associated with the end of the day and fellowship. High-canopied trees that lightly shade the west side of a house create the sweetest place to linger at the end of the day. In Vastu, the west is where “name and fame are made” – in other words, where we share time with friends. A “sunset terrace” basking in the long orange-red rays of the setting sun is the best place for socializing.
Water is also associated with west. The trickling water from a fountain cools the atmosphere on a sunny west-facing patio. The photo at right shows a fountain I designed that features shows a series of dramatic fountainheads along a western stone wall directing streams of water into a raised stone basin.
The colors that look especially vibrant in the west are rich reds and dark orange.
Water features are well suited for west-facing sites.
Follow “The Way of the Sun.” West is the direction of endings, so it makes sense that garden walks proceed in a “sunwise” or clockwise direction. Visitors travel a garden path from east to west, following the sun’s path in the sky. This is akin to the Hindu practice of circumambulation, where they circle special places in a clockwise direction. The reason for this circular walk has been attributed to symbolic causes, but I surmise that it may be due to the flow of geomagnetic forces. Just as an electrical generator works with a rotating coil to create a magnetic field, it may be that people walking in a circular motion intensifies the geomagnetic energy field within that space.
I laid out this stepped garden path so that it curves out of sight and invites you to walk toward the sunlight.
A loop path allows people to walk the perimeter of a garden, looking inward from different viewpoints (photo, left). You can place different garden elements along this encircling path, creating places where people might pause. The stopping points lead people from one destination point to the next, bringing them back to where they began. The walk may be paved, gravel, grassed or mulched – or a combination of all.
“Pooling and Channeling”
In order to encourage people to pause on a loop path or any walk through a landscape, I use a design technique called “pooling and channeling.” It is based on the idea that people move through a space in the same way that water flows: water moves rapidly through a narrow, straight channel but slows down when it enters into a larger, wider pool. Similarly, people tend to pause when they arrive in an open area. So, to encourage people to slow down, make a larger area along a walk or where two narrow paths meet. People will instinctively stop here.
A Focus on Place
Native plants are the highest expression of a place.
The highest expression of “place” comes from honoring the natural environs of a region, taking a cue from natural scenes and using native rocks and plants. This should be the basis of any garden. Wherever you live – in the moist Northwest, the southern high desert, the Mediterranean Pacific coast or the lush South – I encourage you to incorporate native plants in your garden design. For example, if you live in the Northeast of the United States, observe the glory of the eastern woodlands. If you live in hot, dry Southern California, then succulents, agaves and cacti may be your theme. Swaths of native flowers, shrubs and grasses provide an entrancing vision that encompasses the beauty of shifting seasons and feeds and houses the ecosystem’s birds, bees and more. In addition, local stones and plant material “resonate” with their environment, lending a harmonious atmosphere to a garden. For all these reasons, try to use native or local resources whenever you can.
Melding local stones with existing vegetation enriches a garden and its connection to “place”.
Garden Metaphors
This shady dry stream suggests a river and catches stormwater when it rains heavily. Every year we plant annual flowers among the hostas, oakleaf hydrangeas and Japanese painted fern to make it colorfully eye-catching.
A garden metaphor is what I call any landscape feature that recreates a scene of natural beauty in a smaller scale. This can include a dry stone stream to suggest a river, a small earth mound to represent a mountain, or a grouping of trees to evoke a forest.
The ancient Japanese garden makers elevated recreating natural scenes to a high art. Their honored 11th-century manual on garden making, Sakuteiki, says that “you should design each part of the garden tastefully, recalling your memories of how nature presented itself for each feature…Think over the famous places of scenic beauty throughout the land, and design your garden with the mood of harmony, modeling after the general air of such places.”
My favorite garden metaphor is a dry stream. It connotes a babbling brook but, for