landscape or garden?

[Jordan Lockman]

Garden Design is the design of a garden, a garden is grown for the display or use of plants. Where a landscape is the broad surface that makes up our world, earth view/shape. So a landscape is a place where a garden as well as everything else that makes up the built world can happen. No one ever says I am having a landscape party, they say garden party. Since a garden is a defined place in the landscape. In the same way, in the architecture world there are kitchen designers, but this is not the whole building, just a small portion or subset of the building.

 

Websters Dictionary

Garden – a plot of ground where herbs, fruits, flowers, or vegetables are cultivated.

Landscape – the landforms of a region in the aggregate.

[Leslie B Wagle]

There is a realm I think parallels this question, and it is painting. I definitely get a “grand view” image …whether it is Italian or Californian doesn’t matter, but a big scenic view with castles, gorges, mountains etc. in mind (even oriental sketch style) if you say there is a “landscape painting” exhibition, just as I would think waves and ships if you said “seascape painting.”  I don’t think of a small flowery scene, even bigger than a bowl of fruit on a table, as a “landscape painting” quite so much…and I sure wouldn’t call an Ansel Adams photo a “garden photo.” Gardens imply the hand of man somewhat more, but we recognize pond gardens like Monet’s or others who attempt to emulate nature.

I think it’s not just monumental scale but also recognition of more powerful human and environmental forces implied (as acting on the subject if natural or resolved by design of a site) with the term landscape. Strange thing for me to say as much as you have to worry about droughts and bugs in a garden! Fortunately both can be modified by adding specifics such as a “historic,” “neglected,” “tropical,” “urban,” etc.  

[Jordan Lockman]

Now in my yard I am a gardener and I design small portions of my yards separate gardens. I also have been paid to build and design other peoples gardens as part of my job as a Landscape Architect. This does not make me a garden designer it makes me a Landscape Architect that has designed gardens as a subset of the landscape.

 

 

[Jordan Lockman]

A garden designer is a gardener that thought it might be fun to throw designer on the end. Even though they may or may not have been educated in design. So often they put together a assemblage of plants in a cool looking way. We as LAs would look at the plants as a part of a whole landscape and create something using the design principals first then appropriate plants next. It is all about emphasis.

[Thomas J. Johnson]

Touche’ – Though it does raise the question: Could one have a garden within the landscape that is within the garden that’s within the landscape?

[Thomas J. Johnson]

Darn. So, Landscape equals garden plus or minus landscape to the negative first degree. Landscapes within the garden shall not exceed a single negative deviation in scale. Gardens can expand infinitely within the landscape but the landscape can only contract by one degree within the garden. The landscape may not shrink exponentially within the garden.

[william martin]

jordan, i think you might find many trained garden designers use ‘design principles’ before choosing plantlife too.

 

 

[william martin]

leslie..fair enough but a lot of LA displays ‘mechanics’ over ‘landscape’..often with outdated ‘idea’s’ from the fine arts arena ..Is fine art a component of LA training?

[william martin]

Thanks all for your input..there are many interpretations to be had, some better than others Last but not least..When one visits a public garden one might say “I am going to #### garden.” Does one say if entering a LA area “I am going to #### landscape”?

[william martin]

Mmmm Lets take a LA design for around an office block downtown…where does the landscape begin and end?

[william martin]

would like to hear what you have to say about the question posed.

Is this a Q for me Henry?

[william martin]

Grand statement..to what are you referring?

[william martin]

Woops I get it!

[william martin]

Henry, I am not a LA and it was a Q out of curiosity as to how LAs view their work . many folk regard (maybe more so older generations) LA work as NOT garden despite the use of plants.

Perhaps LA designed public spaces are indeed gardens of OUR time with a new moniker?

I read somewhere that LD was more something to be viewed from a distance rather than the notion that ‘garden’ is something to be immersed in.?

 

[Leslie B Wagle]

William on the painting references, I was trying to make a linguistic point more than saying fine arts are in the thoughts of LA’s specifically as they work. On the other question, “When one visits a public garden one might say “I am going to #### garden.” Does one say if entering a LA area “I am going to #### landscape”?”……

 

I wouldn’t let public gardens being called gardens dilute what most of the posters have said about the definition of landscape and garden. The grande (sometimes donated or formerly royal) gardens are larger in scale but still usually dedicated to a display of plants for enjoyment, so the term garden is still appropriate.

 

I don’t know of a time a general user would refer to the professional who created a space when referring to it (LA or non LA). They don’t generally say they are going to play at a Tom Fazio or Tom Jackson golf course, they say such and such market identity (Forest Woods, whatever) course. LA’s work behind the scenes on all kinds of projects from theme parks to church columbaria, and the place names rule. Even after a big competition win like the lady who designed the Washington Vietnam memorial, she’s only in the news awhile, then evaporates except among folks who follow such things either to learn from them directly or possibly for becoming informed pubic decision makers.

 

So, yes those of us who track LA works and history might be likely to say among ourselves “I’m going to go see some L. Halprin’s remaining fountains when I’m out visiting my brother” like we might say “I’m going to be sure and drive by a list of Frank Lloyd Wright houses on my visit to Chicago.” But I’d bet a lot of the people living right around those things don’t recognize them for what they are.

 

I could easily imagine myself saying I’m going to be in a great piece of landscape architecture but would expect my listener to ask “Yeah, where?” to which I’d then respond something like a named (or lesser known) riverfront, plaza, etc.

 

Never invite a retiree/part time instructor to take off into the logo sphere, ha.

 

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