re: Garden Design

I used this when laying out our garden plan, though loosely. I put the tall
focal points at the "golden point" off center to the view, and definitely
looked to draw the eye through the garden in a triangular pattern by
choosing "eye catchers" for those spots, be it noticable for color or shape.
I made sure not to make these triangles equilateral, which would have given
a very stolid, formal feel.

Though as the garden has grown, nature has changed some of the focal points,
I think, yes, it still works. Even in our informal layout, maybe especially
in our informal layout, the backbone of shapes and color that create dynamic
symmetry make it seem "right".

It still is used in painting by a lot artists. Blur you vision a bit and
look at a famous painting, looking to see where the very brightest
highlights are. Very frequently you will see they have worked in these
formulas, leading the eye through the painting with it, as gardeners lead a
visitor's attention through their work. It seems to really contain
proportions that please the human eye.

Cyndi K


> I am curious. In researching for a talk on Renaissance Gardens, I
>discovered the importance these people placed, on what they felt were
>sacred proportions. Not only were the perfect square and circle
>considered a sign of "heaven brought to earth", but also a certain
>proportion which was called "The Golden Rectangle".
>
>    The Golden Rectangle was achieved by using the relationship of the
>Golden Mean; 1 to 1.6180....., an irrational number represented by the
>Greek letter, phi. My son (the mathematician) tried to explain all this
>to me, but I am not interested, except in how it was used in garden
>design.
>
>    This is the rectangular proportion you see superimposed on a
>spread-eagle human body on tee-shirts and posters. Apparently it has
>been used in art and architecture since the Parthenon. Called the
>"Principle of Dynamic Symmetry", this relationship has been used and
>revered by man throughout the history of western culture, in cathedral
>architecture,in art, from da Vinci to George Seurat.
>
>    I have read that many of the great Renaissance gardens were designed
>using this proportion, noteably the great Villa Lante at Bagnia,
>Italy.(Help me Alessandra!)  So, my question to you landscape architects
>and garden designers: Do you think man still derives serenity and
>contentment from this proportion?, Is it taught today? Do you use it in
>your work? Do you care?
>
>Jan
>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>Jan Smithen,
>Upland, California
>
>jansmithen@earthlink.net
>Sunset zone : 19
>USDA zone   : 10
>
>http://home.earthlink.net/~jansmithen/
>
>Visit the Los Angeles County Arboretum
>Victorian Rose Garden website at:
>http://victorian-rose.org/
>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
>
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