A Pattern Garden
by Valerie Easton  

Pattern 11: Water

Whether you dig a little pond, engineer a system of waterways, or take advantage of nearby scenery by drawing it in with visual trickery, a water pattern satisfies, intrigues, and adds richness to any garden experience. The decisive and charming words of Beverley Nichols, a British garden writer and novelist from the middle of the last century, linger as perhaps the definitive statement on how vital the inclusion of water is to good garden-making. He writes, "Not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, I take this opportunity of reminding the reader that every garden must begin with water in some shape or form, even if it is only a pool two feet square sunk into a little concrete terrace. If the reader's retort is 'In that case I haven't got a garden at all because I haven't got any water in it,' my reply is 'Quite. You haven't got a garden.'"


Water, stone, and plants have a natural affinity in their contrasting properties and textures, with water as effective in a formal scheme like this one as when used in a more naturalistic setting.

Copyright ©2007 Timber Press, Inc. Text excerpts from A Pattern Garden copyright © Valerie Easton. Photographs copyright © Jacqueline Koch, except photos on Bridges, Gates, and Shelters pages copyright © Allan Mandell; and photo on Water page copyright © Richard Hartlage. All rights reserved. Posted with permission of the publisher.