“Gardens, like people, gain character with age” is a truism which, at least in the dream of things, is TRUE. In both cases good fortune is a necessity. Both people and beautiful landscape gardens can be destroyed, ‘ killed ‘ by the same tornado, mud slide, flood, fire, or earthquake. As a generalization, however, the adage IS true, at least in the ideal.
Both beautiful people and beautiful landscape gardens usually need help, care and attention especially when young to develop their ‘glow’ in later life. It’s living human beings who make judgments on the matter, however.
Most homeowners who do love and seek beauty in a landscaped garden are folks with average income, or are retired from years of average, or slightly above average income. The super wealthy usually hire university degreed landscape artists to line things up the way artists are trained to do. Hedges become popular and can be practical in the setting. After all, a wall is a wall is a wall. One might even appear beautiful someday.
Sometimes for some folks, the more expensive is deemed more beautiful merely by its cost rather any notice of something ‘beautiful’.
Most of our plants which provide structure in beautiful landscape gardens are sun-loving. Massive deciduous trees may become beautiful on their own account as individuals after a century of living in the landscape garden, but because of root expanse and the living tree’s demand for light, living woody plant matter whether young or old doesn’t have much of a chance to compete in such an environment .
In our Northland, East exposure to the Sun is the location superior to all other woody plantings for best growth. South is runner up. It’s hotter. West, where the ground is usually hot longer and drier, is an ‘also ran’, with North dead last, often a sure killer for countless beautiful woody specimens when the season is with wind and severe cold without much snow cover.
Do remember, however, that the nature of the ambient soil does have a dictate in the health of plants in their domain. A sand ‘bottom’ is a far drier environment for most plant roots than clay.
Sometimes trees and shrubs, and occasionally people, gain character from periods of suffering…. While we root for human avoidance of the condition, older trees which survive years of suffering can become among the most beautiful in form in ones landscape garden. Skillful prunings can relieve many a landscape tree or shrub suffering from ugliness and/or general disorder.
We at Masterpiece invite folks to review the ‘beauty quotient’ of their existing trees and shrubs. If your plants are not gaining character with age, do call us for advice and action….at 952-933-5777…..even if they look old and crusty. Some plants can live with character for centuries, you know.