How are private and urban landscapes transformed in the "era of new sincerity"? And what scenographic techniques help bring new characters to the main roles: wildflowers, grasses, burnt wood, and rusty iron? The founder of the Beloded Landscaping bureau, a valid member of the Society of Garden Designers (SGD) and a member of the board of the Guild of Landscape Architects of Ukraine (GLAU) told about this in the traditional column "Likbez" PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA Lyudmila Bilodid.
Lyudmila Bilodid, landscape designer, director and founder of Beloded Landscaping bureau
The season of fluctuating grasses
Autumn is a time of dramatic landscapes, and I would call autumn 2021 "the season of swaying grasses". Dynamic grasses that wave in the wind, shine in the dew under the slanting rays of the sun, turn into an integral element of our urban landscapes. In their silvery frame, the maples blaze with bright colors, the ginkgos lose their golden leaves, and the crimson swamp oaks and fiery red metasequoias assume the role of leaders.
RHS Chelsea 2021 Silver Winner - Bodmin Jail Garden: 60° East - A Garden Between Continents. Design by Carly Kershaw together with Kateryna Zasukhina. Photo: RHS/Neil Hepworth
"The modern looked to the future, the postmodern looked back, and the metamodern focused on the present and the tribute to the existing," - that's how philosophers describe the cultural period that humanity entered at the turn of the millennium, but we are only now approaching its realization. People show their sincere emotions more often and experiment more boldly.
We realized that genius loci are not the visual qualities of a landscape. It is a context that includes both human activity and the physical landscape, and the meanings and values associated with them. Today, we prefer dynamism over static and are beginning to appreciate variability in landscapes. Do you remember the craze for evergreen conifers?
Everyone confidently asserted that it is very important that greenery pleases us all year round. Everyone was very happy to be able to buy evergreens: Christmas trees, junipers or pines. But now the pendulum has swung, evergreen statics are no longer relevant — and this is also one of the signs of the transition to a new cultural paradigm. Now dynamism is valued: in composition, in color, in movement.
Recently, it became a personal discovery for us how interesting the purple-leaved dwarf willow (Salix purpurea 'Nana') looks on a windward slope with very flexible branches and narrow thin leaves, which, like cereals, creates the effect of a "waddle steppe". Evergreen plants, even if they are grouped in an array, are still unable to create the illusion of summer. Today, we strive to honestly and tastefully live all seasons and find our advantages in each of them.
We do not abandon the regular style, but we confidently mix it with the landscape, integrating into picturesque thickets of grasses, clipped bonsai and geometry: we divide the gardens into rooms or geometric blocks filled with perennials. The guru of modern landscape design, Pete Udolph, combines his original grass mosaics with trimmed geometric massifs of leafy shrubs — forest beech (Fagus sylvatica); this is how, for example, the entrance area of his author's garden in Hummelo is designed.
A temporary herb garden designed by designer Nigel Dunnett in the main square of Bergamo as part of the International Landscape Festival I Maestri del Paesaggio 2021, Italy. Photo: Claudia Zanf
Geometry helps us create perspective even in small areas, just as designer Nigel Dunnett created his The Diamond Garden near Buckingham Palace back in 2013, planning it based on a trapezoidal grid.
Vini Maas (MVRDV) together with French architect Sabine Charisto recently completed the Ilot Queyries residential complex in Bordeaux, where the park is planned as a series of circular oases with wild grasses and trees of informal outline surrounded by red paving.
The most visible trend emerging today is the effort to bring wild nature back into the urban environment, and the results of the last major landscape festivals and garden shows confirm this. Often, at first glance, it is difficult to determine from the photo what we are seeing: an area of the steppe or a designer garden of the new wave.
And now about everything in more detail, but I would like to start with scenography.
What is the scenography for?
In landscape design, the architect relies on the main principles of scenography, building his compositions, as a director builds compositions on a stage or in a frame. The formation of a man-made landscape is subject to the same principles: to select a soloist, to determine who and when enters with his party.
Scenography of the garden is the selection of a "scene" with accent plants and its visual framing. This practice has been around for several centuries. In the Venetian theaters of the XVII-XVIII centuries. Baroque garden decoration was part of the mandatory decorative set. An integral part of Renaissance gardens were balustrades and terraces, from where guests could admire the garden as if from a box. In the center of the composition there was usually a pond with a fountain or a particularly complex pattern of plants.
In Tudor England, so that the owners of castles and their noble guests could admire the gardens from their windows, they invented knot gardens — complex ornaments made of low-cut shrubs, between which bright annuals were planted. The qualities of such garden "knots" were revealed only when viewed from a high point - from a window, from a balcony.
Landscaping of the courtyard in the Ilot Queyries residential complex in Bordeaux, France. Photo source: MVRDV
The era of romanticism gave us the landscape style. Ermenonville Park, the oldest of the French landscape parks, was designed in the estate of the Marquis René Louis de Girardin based on sketches by the artist Hubert Robert, who was inspired by the philosophy and novels of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The image of the Garden of Eden, lost by man, in Rousseau's works had the features of a natural, natural landscape, since, as Marcus Vitruvius claimed, "the laws of nature are the laws of composition." However, behind Rousseau's sentimentalism, serious knowledge of botany was hidden - as a follower of Carl Linnaeus, he himself classified and described more than two thousand plants.
Rousseau's "Botanical Letters" are full of sincere love for nature. Despite the apparent arbitrariness, man-made landscape parks are formed according to the strict laws of composition formulated by Vitruvius: integrity, proportionality, symmetry/asymmetry, rhythm and the presence of a compositional center. The architect, creating a building, builds a composition according to the same principles, emphasizing the strengths of the project, bringing them to the fore, in particular, with the help of the landscape. Landscaping will highlight a stylish entrance group, innovative elements of the facade, even the original shape of the roofs can be emphasized by repeating the slope line with shapes made of sheared hornbeams.
In our practice, we strive to rely on what the formed natural environment dictates to us. We are currently working on a landscaping project on the territory of the new Park Lake City business-class suburban residential complex. According to the concept, PLC is a resort that is located next to the metropolis, from where people can quickly reach and immerse themselves in a different, relaxing environment. To the landscape that we create on the shore of the lake, it will be appropriate to apply the definition "metamodern".
We chose plants that will do well in the coastal strip with a high level of groundwater. They are stable, unpretentious, natural, dynamic - they change their appearance depending on the season. And at the same time, they find a strong emotional response from the audience. Currently, the swamp oaks are painted in crimson and red tones. I must say that the swamp oak is a dominant tree in itself, the "owner of the territory", with a luxurious, sprawling crown. Red maples (Acer Rubrum) "sound" in unison with the oaks.
Not replicated in our country, but I think it is a beautiful technique - the use of metasequia. Think of the landscapes of North America or Canada, when the shores of lakes turn yellow-orange-red in autumn. And even in its summer appearance, the metasequoia is incredibly beautiful - it is a powerful, juicy plant. Thanks to these lead singers, we created a spectacular landscape - a lake and large trees full of life right on the shore line. But for all its brightness, Park Lake City remains a relaxation-oriented project with a non-aggressive, very soft landscape.
A special tree for the main role
Today, foreign landscape architects often choose a dramatic tree as a soloist - a natural, wild form with many trunks or with an irregular, twisted trunk. This natural aesthetic captivates not only Ukrainian landscape designers, but also customers. But in the general information space, which surrounds people who are not professionals in the landscape field, there is extremely insufficient information about modern landscaping trends. In particular, about the fact that sometimes beauty is in imperfection.
A "special" tree in a private garden, p. Plyut, Kyiv region, Ukraine. Landscape project: Beloded Landscaping. Photo: Yuriy Ferendovych
It is not necessary for all trees to be avenue trees - perfectly even, with a crown starting at the same height. Alley trees, which are offered to us today in Ukrainian nurseries, are intended for greening an active urban environment, are specially selected according to the line — for planting along roads, where they create a noise barrier, but do not block the view of drivers and pedestrians. Such trees are irreplaceable in regular landscapes, they allow us to build visions and perspectives, but if we choose a soloist, then he must be special.
For example, in the "Metropolis" residential complex, we also use plants of natural forms. A large park area is planned to be created inside the complex. Conventionally, we call it a "forest", there will be many trees of an unusual shape for typical landscaping - multi-stemmed, with branches growing from the ground. The place of such plants is the recreation area of residents in the "forest" part of the residential complex, where the image of a "natural" forest is created. Plants of natural forms have a huge potential, they deserve more attention, because they are special, in some ways imperfect, but especially dramatic, emotional. From the customer's point of view, this is a progressive decision.
Today, foreign landscape architects often choose a dramatic tree as a soloist
Where can you find a special mature tree? So far, only in the oldest nurseries in Europe — Bruns, Lappen. In Ukraine, until recently, there was simply no demand for landscape compositions. First of all, something smooth, clear, and easy to care for was needed. And it's the same now, if we're talking about mass demand. New parks, for example, in the suburbs of Kyiv, are still surrounded by thuja fences, and traditional assortments and compositions are used as filling.
In Ukraine, this is still a fairly new format of work. There are not so many landscape architects who are able to come up with a non-trivial idea, an emotional scenario for the garden, turn the idea into an image and realize the plan. Those who have the experience and the opportunity to go and personally select exactly those plants that will help reveal the concept. Most often, the selection and delivery of plants is entrusted to contractors who choose plants, focusing primarily not on the architect's idea, but on the check. There are not many customers who say: "I want a special, unusual, unique tree to grow in the middle of the lawn. Let it be irregular, asymmetrical and as expressive as possible."
By the way, it is a mistake to think that the prices for uncirculated trees will necessarily be some kind of amazing. Nurseries, including European ones, are primarily factories (each large nursery has its own plant museum — a park where unique specimens with an unusual crown shape grow). If the tree has a unique shape, it is not necessary that the check will be special. Yes, of course, there are craft, exclusive, carefully formed unique items, in which enormous human labor and time have been invested. Here, the price tag for them can reach solid thousands of euros.
Mirrored windows reflect the garden, creating a new visual layer. Private garden, village Plyut, Kyiv region, Ukraine. Landscape project: Beloded Landscaping. Photo: Yuriy Ferendovych
But a tree of an unusual shape, formed naturally, is a kind of whim of fate. In nurseries that value their reputation, it will be sold at a fair price. It is not much higher than the cost of an ordinary tree, as it is formed based on the age and height of the specimen. For example, we are currently choosing European larch Larix decidua for a customer.
And among the specimens of a typical conical shape, there is one rather strange twisted one. It so happened that the branches suddenly began to grow a little differently. Such a plant immediately becomes a magnet that attracts the eye, it is called a special plant. Nursery gardeners select and preserve plants with a non-standard habit, whimsical form for clients looking for a source of inspiration for their projects.
In landscape design, the architect relies on the main principles of scenography, building his compositions, as a director builds compositions on a stage or in a frame. The formation of a man-made landscape is subject to the same principles: to select a soloist, to determine who and when enters with his party.
The king creates an environment
Accent special wood attracts eyes, but does not close them to itself. With its irregularity, such an actor emphasizes the characteristics of the surrounding landscape. Thus, the patriarch cherry tree on the Vitra campus highlights the benefits of the herb garden created by Piet Udolf. And at the same time, Udolf's new garden brings the old cherry tree to the fore.
There are plants that are soloists, and there are extras that take on the task of creating a background and filling. They are distinguished by a contrasting color of the leaves, a regular shape as opposed to an informal one. If a sprawling oak is in the foreground, then dignified plants that emphasize the exclusivity of the owner of the territory should form the honor of the king. We often work on the design of landscape compositions that perform the functions of a picturesque background and serve as a visual barrier at the same time.
We are talking about rather large-scale spaces, on which we operate with a set of a maximum of 4-5 species of trees of the first size. We will form the background from groups of medium-tall trees, which nevertheless do not compete with the soloist, then we will use plants of the middle tier - shrubs or low-growing trees up to 4-5 m in height. In the lower tier (readable background) we will place rhododendrons: they will create a green, and in the spring - a flowering massif.
Naturalistic garden created by Piet Udolf for Vitra Campus, Germany. The soloist of the composition is an old cherry tree. Photo source: Vitra
Seasonal changes are a natural process. But from the point of view of landscape craftsmanship, it is not such a simple task: to compose a dynamic seasonal composition, when the solo part moves from one actor to another depending on the season.
There are plants that are soloists, and there are extras that take on the task of creating a background and filling
When we talk about the expressiveness of the landscape, let me paraphrase: beauty is not only in the eyes of the beholder, but also depends on the point from which he looks. In Japanese culture, for example, it is customary to incorporate the surrounding landscape into the interior. Therefore, compositionally, the garden is oriented even to the interior.
Round marumado windows (Zen symbols of enso) or yukimi-shoji—literally, “partitions for admiring the snow”—serve as a kind of backdrop that emphasizes the garden or natural composition outside the window. According to this principle, we formed compositions for the landscape described in the article "Zen embodied. A garden with thoughts about Japan» in the 24th volume of PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA.
Beloded Landscaping project of landscaping for the Metropolis residential complex. Image source: Beloded Landscaping
Nature engulfs the city
At the International Landscape Festival I Maestri del Paesaggio, which took place in September 2021 in Bergamo, Italy, Nigel Dunnett, the founder of what we call the Sheffield School of Design, transformed the central city square - Piazza Vecchia - into wild meadows, literally drowning her in flowers and herbs. Dunnett vividly demonstrated how effective and emotional the contrast between Renaissance architecture and modern naturalistic landscape design can be - delicate grasses, decorative leafy perennials and wildflowers against the background of ancient stone walls and galleries.
The British professor consistently and very eloquently defends his opinion: "In order to confront climate change, the biodiversity crisis and build a truly sustainable future, it is necessary to return nature to the center of our cities." Even if we will notice the impact of wild gardens on the climate only later, the aesthetic component of such an intervention, at least in terms of landscape mastery, is beyond doubt.
Gold medal winner at RHS Chelsea 2021, M&G Garden by Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg of Harris Bugg Studio. Photo: RHS
Due to the pandemic, the RHS Chelsea Garden Show was held in September for the first time. My forecasts, which I gave in the spring (read in the article "Exhibition garden. How to create a fairy tale in 10 days", published in the 30th volume of PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA), fully came true. A multi-colored palette, fruits, vegetable beds - all the things for which we love the bountiful autumn so much. And the fashion for naturalness, which manifested itself in literally everything - both in approaches and in details.
The Jubilee Garden for Queen Elizabeth, designed by David Dodd, was devoid of even a hint of pathos: shady lawns under a forest canopy interspersed with islands of flowering meadow grasses, a dirt path and sculptures of willow vines. The aesthetics of unimaginative nature somewhere in the countryside. No parterres. And even the boxwood balls embedded in the thickets of yarrow and anemone are conspicuously overgrown, as if they had not been touched by garden shears for a very long time.
But the gold medal-winning M&G Garden, created by Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg of Harris Bugg Studio, has caused the most interest and controversy, including in professional circles. At first glance, it looks like a plot absorbed by nature on the outskirts of the city or somewhere in an industrial area. Rusty iron, bricks darkened by time, grass breaking through the cobblestones, a chaotic pattern of light and shadow.
To create a post-industrial landscape, the designers collaborated with Mcmullan Studio architects. The sculptural aqueduct is welded from 100 m of old pipes, the paving slabs are assembled on vacant lots. A carefully thought-out assortment of plants: Charlotte and Hugo chose resistant species that feel free without human care and careful maintenance.
This is Nyssa forest Nyssa sylvatica (a rare plant for us), sea buckthorn and silver olive with almost white, which means unrealistically contrasting leaves. And grasses, which many people accustomed to traditional cultural landscapes would call "weeds": aster, amsonia, pike, sesleria, etc.
Private garden, village Plyut, Kyiv region, Ukraine. Landscape project: Beloded Landscaping. Photo: Yuriy Ferendovych
In Uman, on the territory that connects a large commercial center with a new residential quarter, we are creating a "Greek forest" - an imitation of a forest massif, into which we integrate modern landscaping elements. It will be a symbiosis of a natural landscape with an innovative, urban one. We are also implementing a similar concept together with architect Hiroki Matsuura in UNIT.City, where it is planned to create not only picturesque jungle bushes, but also a coastal marshy landscape.
You can't break a dream
I talk so much about modern possibilities that one might get the impression that design and architecture are all-powerful and capable of radically reshaping the terrain, adjusting even the most extreme conditions. In the global sense, yes. Even on Mars, man will one day be able to create an Eden. But in relation to our real conditions, I want to return to the honesty that metamodernity dictates to us.
I am of the opinion that one should not deprive a person of his dream or rudely impose his own ideas. When the customer, inspired by bright references of gardens from a fundamentally different climate zone, sets an absolutely unrealistic task, we honestly explain that exact implementation or copying is impossible and is beyond common sense. And the result will not satisfy anyone.
But using experience and knowledge, we have the opportunity to build the desired atmosphere, create the desired effect with the help of other, more stable and suitable plants. Yes, we will get into the image that man invented, dreamed of, we will create a viable garden, but we will do it in a different way. Not trying, relatively speaking, to take root eucalyptus in the icy desert. Perhaps we will have to resort to some special techniques, even tricks, and the project will turn out to be difficult and expensive to implement. And maybe we will reach a compromise in the process of dialogue.
The Beloded Landscaping project of landscaping for the "Metropolis" residential complex is an autumn landscape. Image source: Beloded Landscaping
Another of our non-obvious tasks is to see hidden perspectives. For example, in one of the projects, the landscapers who worked on the plot before us did not pay attention to the fact that the design of the house itself and the character of the plot are ideal for a landscape unpretentious rose garden. We are not talking about hybrid tea roses, but about landscape roses that bloom from spring to late autumn, that can withstand both drought and frost.
Beautiful, unpretentious plants that grow quickly, form dense, but low curtains. In the group of landscape roses, the breeders combined various varieties with increased characteristics of resistance and abundant long-term flowering. But the customer has a persistent prejudice that roses are a chore. We offered to plant a few bushes at our own expense to demonstrate their qualities. There is plenty of green in this garden, but there is an acute lack of color accents. Here is an example of persuasion through action.
Another metamodern feature of the time is honesty in the presentation of projects. On the one hand, our work has become more complicated — for one project, we perform a series of visualizations for different seasons at once. We are currently working on spring visualizations for the landscaping project of the "Metropolis" residential complex, so that the customer can be sure that all his investments are justified.
It will be really bright, effective. Once in the 90s, we drew a jungle on the computer, focusing on the distant future of the garden, and we planted small seedlings, since there were no others at our disposal. Now everything is honest - if the project visualizations depict trees of a certain size, then this landscape will be commissioned in this form.
And I want to emphasize once again: when talking about new trends, no one tries to deny traditions. The passion for standard roses, clipped boxwoods, nivaki and colorful carpets made of tulips and hyacinths will remain in the cultural code of the generation of the XNUMXth century for a long time, and perhaps forever.
But today is a great time for us to appreciate on practical experience all the advantages of an alternative approach, based on a conscious attitude to natural and human resources, in particular to the resources of our cities in the new century.
