Design your garden with artistic flair

“I will do water – beautiful, blue water.” – Claude Monet



Many artists like Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Hyacinth Paul and Pablo Picasso were greatly inspired by nature, capturing it onto canvas, leaving a legacy to be appreciated by many art lovers to come. One can also look at it the other way around: Perhaps these artists found their connection to nature through art.

As much as nature has inspired artists from ancient times up till today, many gardens have been equally inspired by nature, prompting quite a popular design trend. Both indigenous gardeners and landscape architects love borrowing ideas from nature. Some designers manage to combine the two, with the garden flowing into nature without a noticeable barrier or border, and without giving the impression that the garden is separate from the world around it.



Naturalistic garden design emphasises mainly shape and form, which are two of the most important elements of landscape design. This requires a rather thoughtful, balanced mix of feathery as well as structured perennials that maintain their flair all year round. Although colour is not absent in naturalistic gardens, the palette just tends to be tighter and more subdued.



Plants typically used in naturalistic gardens would be groundcovers, ornamental grasses, small trees and some annuals.
Many garden designs were also inspired by art and make you feel like you are in a striking piece of artwork. Landscapers, gardeners, architects, artists, are all of one artistic species who see art in almost everything around them. That is their superpower.
Try using masses of a specific type of plant, regardless of the space you’re planting. Mass planting or group planting unifies textural, heavily planted gardens.

Small gardens gain a sense of depth when one accentuates long views across the garden, like incorporating a long straight path with some dramatic focal points at each end.

Lighting is essential but do it subtly. Bigger is not always better, do everything in balance. Gardens are not always about plants only; by adding art pieces to your garden you can significantly enhance its visual appeal.

Consider using garden wall art as a focal point, perhaps using mosaic techniques. Sculptures in stainless steel or metal can provide a modern edge, while a stone sculpture adds timeless charm.

---

Pupkewitz Megabuild:
Eugene le Roux
Horticulturist
Cell: 081 124 6965