Rendering courtesy of SHoP

Earlier today we profiled some fantastic (and impossible) visions for a new Penn Station, courtesy of the Municipal Art Society’s challenge to four renowned architecture firms. Now, let’s take a look at what these dreamers came with up for Madison Square Garden.

Above, SHoP sees “an extension of the High Line that connects the new station to a glorious and financeable new Madison Square Garden.”

Below is a layout of their vision of the west side of midtown (its fantasy highlighted by the inclusion of King Kong). Click here for larger image.

Rendering courtesy of SHoP

Another firm to take a stab at MSG was H3, who is opting to build the arena not on Manhattan, but next to it. They describe their design as “a relocation of Madison Square Garden to a 16-acre site on the west side waterfront provides an enhanced venue with a singular new identity and expanded tourist, hospitality, and entertainment opportunities.”

Rendering courtesy of H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture

So what does MSG think of these designs? Not very much. Not very much AT ALL. Here’s The Madison Square Garden Company’s statement on the May 29 Design Challenge:

It’s curious to see that there are so many ideas on how to tear down a privately owned building that is a thriving New York icon, supports thousands of jobs and is currently completing a $1 billion transformation. These pie-in-the-sky drawings completely ignore the fact that no viable plans or funding to rebuild Penn Station and relocate MSG actually exist. Not that long ago, MSG spent millions of dollars and three years exploring a move to the Farley building as part of the new vision for Moynihan Station.

That plan collapsed for a number of reasons that did not involve MSG, but did involve many of the same people now pressuring MSG to move, including The Municipal Art Society, which created enormous obstacles to achieving the relocation. The restoration of Moynihan Station has been a 20-year discussion that has led to very little progress or funding. The fact that this exercise does not include anyone who actually has detailed knowledge of this issue or understands the realities of this complex project exposes this exercise for exactly what it is.

Well sure, these designs will never become reality with THAT attitude!

Rendering courtesy of SHoP

Earlier today we profiled some fantastic (and impossible) visions for a new Penn Station, courtesy of the Municipal Art Society’s challenge to four renowned architecture firms. Now, let’s take a look at what these dreamers came with up for Madison Square Garden.

Above, SHoP sees “an extension of the High Line that connects the new station to a glorious and financeable new Madison Square Garden.”

Below is a layout of their vision of the west side of midtown (its fantasy highlighted by the inclusion of King Kong). Click here for larger image.

Rendering courtesy of SHoP

Another firm to take a stab at MSG was H3, who is opting to build the arena not on Manhattan, but next to it. They describe their design as “a relocation of Madison Square Garden to a 16-acre site on the west side waterfront provides an enhanced venue with a singular new identity and expanded tourist, hospitality, and entertainment opportunities.”

Rendering courtesy of H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture

So what does MSG think of these designs? Not very much. Not very much AT ALL. Here’s The Madison Square Garden Company’s statement on the May 29 Design Challenge:

It’s curious to see that there are so many ideas on how to tear down a privately owned building that is a thriving New York icon, supports thousands of jobs and is currently completing a $1 billion transformation. These pie-in-the-sky drawings completely ignore the fact that no viable plans or funding to rebuild Penn Station and relocate MSG actually exist. Not that long ago, MSG spent millions of dollars and three years exploring a move to the Farley building as part of the new vision for Moynihan Station.

That plan collapsed for a number of reasons that did not involve MSG, but did involve many of the same people now pressuring MSG to move, including The Municipal Art Society, which created enormous obstacles to achieving the relocation. The restoration of Moynihan Station has been a 20-year discussion that has led to very little progress or funding. The fact that this exercise does not include anyone who actually has detailed knowledge of this issue or understands the realities of this complex project exposes this exercise for exactly what it is.

Well sure, these designs will never become reality with THAT attitude!

Rendering courtesy of SHoP

Earlier today we profiled some fantastic (and impossible) visions for a new Penn Station, courtesy of the Municipal Art Society’s challenge to four renowned architecture firms. Now, let’s take a look at what these dreamers came with up for Madison Square Garden.

Above, SHoP sees “an extension of the High Line that connects the new station to a glorious and financeable new Madison Square Garden.”

Below is a layout of their vision of the west side of midtown (its fantasy highlighted by the inclusion of King Kong). Click here for larger image.

Rendering courtesy of SHoP

Another firm to take a stab at MSG was H3, who is opting to build the arena not on Manhattan, but next to it. They describe their design as “a relocation of Madison Square Garden to a 16-acre site on the west side waterfront provides an enhanced venue with a singular new identity and expanded tourist, hospitality, and entertainment opportunities.”

Rendering courtesy of H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture

So what does MSG think of these designs? Not very much. Not very much AT ALL. Here’s The Madison Square Garden Company’s statement on the May 29 Design Challenge:

It’s curious to see that there are so many ideas on how to tear down a privately owned building that is a thriving New York icon, supports thousands of jobs and is currently completing a $1 billion transformation. These pie-in-the-sky drawings completely ignore the fact that no viable plans or funding to rebuild Penn Station and relocate MSG actually exist. Not that long ago, MSG spent millions of dollars and three years exploring a move to the Farley building as part of the new vision for Moynihan Station.

That plan collapsed for a number of reasons that did not involve MSG, but did involve many of the same people now pressuring MSG to move, including The Municipal Art Society, which created enormous obstacles to achieving the relocation. The restoration of Moynihan Station has been a 20-year discussion that has led to very little progress or funding. The fact that this exercise does not include anyone who actually has detailed knowledge of this issue or understands the realities of this complex project exposes this exercise for exactly what it is.

Well sure, these designs will never become reality with THAT attitude!

Rendering courtesy of SHoP

Earlier today we profiled some fantastic (and impossible) visions for a new Penn Station, courtesy of the Municipal Art Society’s challenge to four renowned architecture firms. Now, let’s take a look at what these dreamers came with up for Madison Square Garden.

Above, SHoP sees “an extension of the High Line that connects the new station to a glorious and financeable new Madison Square Garden.”

Below is a layout of their vision of the west side of midtown (its fantasy highlighted by the inclusion of King Kong). Click here for larger image.

Rendering courtesy of SHoP

Another firm to take a stab at MSG was H3, who is opting to build the arena not on Manhattan, but next to it. They describe their design as “a relocation of Madison Square Garden to a 16-acre site on the west side waterfront provides an enhanced venue with a singular new identity and expanded tourist, hospitality, and entertainment opportunities.”

Rendering courtesy of H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture

So what does MSG think of these designs? Not very much. Not very much AT ALL. Here’s The Madison Square Garden Company’s statement on the May 29 Design Challenge:

It’s curious to see that there are so many ideas on how to tear down a privately owned building that is a thriving New York icon, supports thousands of jobs and is currently completing a $1 billion transformation. These pie-in-the-sky drawings completely ignore the fact that no viable plans or funding to rebuild Penn Station and relocate MSG actually exist. Not that long ago, MSG spent millions of dollars and three years exploring a move to the Farley building as part of the new vision for Moynihan Station.

That plan collapsed for a number of reasons that did not involve MSG, but did involve many of the same people now pressuring MSG to move, including The Municipal Art Society, which created enormous obstacles to achieving the relocation. The restoration of Moynihan Station has been a 20-year discussion that has led to very little progress or funding. The fact that this exercise does not include anyone who actually has detailed knowledge of this issue or understands the realities of this complex project exposes this exercise for exactly what it is.

Well sure, these designs will never become reality with THAT attitude!

Being a garden design editor for Southern Living Magazine sounds like a pretty good gig, right? Well, imagine being plucked from your comfort zone and transplanted into a world of smoke and seasonings.

That’s what happened to Troy Black, and it was the lure of that new environment that persuaded him to trade in his old job and begin a new vocation.

“Landscape architecture is my training. I was on staff as a garden design editor for Southern Living Magazine when I was asked to fill in at a barbecue judging event for a travel writer who couldn’t attend. I got hooked,” he said.

While Black continued his day job, he spent his weekends competing at various barbecue events. In 2006 barbecue competitions became his sole focus.

“I began competing as a hobby first, but I got really good at it,” he said.

He has entered more than 400 competitions, has won more than 100 first-place awards as well as a number of state championships.

“I was the first guy out there to make his living through competing and sponsorship. I’ve turned what I loved to do into a living,” he said.

His loyal over-the-road canine companion was Rocko, a boxer mastiff mix.

“When my daughters were younger they would sometimes travel with me but Rocko traveled with me for about four years straight. We spent 10 months together living out of a tour bus traveling from event to event. He became a rock star in his own world. He passed away of cancer in January. That was a really tough time for me,” he said.

A couple of years ago Black decided to quit competing and use his knowledge of the trade to train others. He offers barbecue pit master classes in Franklin, Tenn., where he currently resides, and travels extensively for various corporate sponsors to provide instruction on best barbecue practices. He was recently in Knoxville with the Sam’s Club Barbecue Tour competition.

“I’ll be traveling to 31 different cities with the Sam’s Club Barbecue Tour where we will be hosting competitions,” he said.

Black partnered with Southern Living’s publishing company, Oxmoor House, and in 2010 released his first book “The Big Book of BBQ.” This month his second book, “All Fired Up,” (Oxmoor House, $24.95) is hitting the bookstores. He also has an instructional DVD titled “Real BBQ Know How” that’s available on his website, www.learn2q.com.

“What I did in competition is still relevant today, and I share everything in my book,” he said.

Photo by Amy Smotherman Burgess // Buy this photo

Troy Black, award-winning barbecue chef, demonstrates how to prepare barbecue ribs during the Sam’s Club Barbecue Tour in West Knoxville. . (AMY SMOTHERMAN BURGESS/NEWS SENTINEL)

The 288-page softbound book includes extensive information in the chapter titled “Tools of the Trade,” including the proper set-up of smokers, gas and charcoal grills; a list of his top 10 must-have tools; how to prepare a charcoal grill; instruction on cooking with direct and indirect heat; as well as the use of wood chips and wood chunks.

More than 175 dishes and 400 captivating color photos are featured in the book with chapter topics including Authentic BBQ; Pig Out; Hot Chix; and Fresh Catch.

Recipes include grilled molasses flank steak with watermelon salsa; hickory-smoked whole chicken; sweet Asian-grilled salmon; chicken-and-brisket Brunswick stew; blackened-grilled catfish fillets; sweet ginger chicken thighs; peach-glazed pork chops; and garlic-and-herb-grilled halibut.

The book also has a section on sauces and rubs, as well as “Special Extras” recipes like hush puppies, grilled sweet potato planks; and grilled rosemary lemonade.

Photo by Oxmoor House

It takes approximately 5 hours to prepare Troy Black’s championship glazed ribs. (Oxmoor House)$RETURN$$RETURN$

Here is a sampling of recipes from the book.

Championship glazed ribs

Yields 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 slabs pork spare ribs (about 7 1/2 pounds)

1 cup bottled hickory and brown sugar barbecue sauce

1/3 cup honey

2/3 cup pork dry rub (recipe below)

DIRECTIONS

1 Cut slab perpendicular to the rib bones, reserving rib tips for another use. This style of ribs is known as the St. Louis cut. You can also have your butcher trim them for you.

2 Remove thin membrane from back of ribs by slicing into it with a knife, and then pulling it off. (This will make ribs more tender.)

3 Stir together barbecue sauce and honey in a small bowl; reserve ½ cup to serve with cooked ribs. Sprinkle both sides of ribs generously with pork dry rub; let stand 10 minutes to create a paste.

4 Light one side of grill, heating to 250 to 300 degrees (low heat). Leave other side unlit. Place ribs over unlit side and grill, covered with grill lid, 2 hours and 15 minutes.

5 Turn rib slabs over. Grill 2 hours and 15 minutes or until tender. Cook ribs 15 more minutes, basting frequently with barbecue sauce mixture.

6 Remove ribs from grill and let stand 10 minutes. Cut ribs, slicing between bones. Serve ribs with reserved ½ cup barbecue sauce mixture.

Photo by Oxmoor House

Oxmoor House
These grilled scallop kabobs are as pretty to look at as they are tasty to eat.

Pork dry rub

Yields 3 1/2 cups

INGREDIENTS

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 cup paprika

1/2 cup granulated garlic

1/2 cup kosher sauce

2 tablespoons dried minced onion

2 tablespoons ground red pepper

2 tablespoons ground chipotle chile pepper

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon dry mustard

DIRECTIONS

1 Stir together all ingredients in a medium bowl.

Grilled scallop kabobs

Yield 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

10 (6-inch) wooden skewers

20 fresh thick asparagus spears

40 sea scallops (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1/4 cup herb-flavored olive oil

Salt to taste

Lemon wedges

Photo by Amy Smotherman Burgess // Buy this photo

DIRECTIONS

1 Soak wooden skewers in water 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat grill to 350 to 400 degrees (medium-high) heat.

2 Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus. Cut asparagus into 2-inch pieces.

3 Thread scallops alternately with asparagus pieces onto skewers. Brush with olive oil. Grill kabobs, covered with grill lid, 2 ½ minutes on each side or just until scallops are opaque. Season with salt to taste. Serve kabobs with lemon wedges.

Grilled roasted pepper-stuffed mushrooms

Yields 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

4 portobello mushroom caps

1 large red bell pepper

1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

1 (5.2-ounce) package buttery garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

4 teaspoons bottled balsamic glaze

DIRECTIONS

1 Preheat grill to 400-450 degrees (high) heat. Cut stems from mushrooms; chop stems and reserve for cheese mixture. Scrape and discard brown gills from underside of mushrooms, leaving edges of caps intact, using a spoon.

2 Grill bell pepper, covered, with grill lid, 15 minutes or until pepper looks blistered, turning often. At the same time, grill onion slices, cover with grill lid, 10 minutes or until crisp tender.

3 Reduce grill temperature to medium heat. Remove bell pepper from grill and place in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag; seal and let stand 10 minutes to loosen skin. Peel pepper; cut pepper in half. Remove and discard seeds. Chop bell pepper and onion slices.

4 Combine reserved chopped mushroom stems, chopped onion, and spreadable cheese.

5 Grill mushrooms, covered with grill lid, 5 minutes, turning once. Spoon cheese mixture into center of mushroom caps. Top each with chopped bell pepper and Parmesan cheese. Grill stuffed mushroom caps, covered with grill lid, 2-3 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and cheese mixture is bubbly around edges. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.

—

Smoking woods

Alder: Very popular on the West Coast, this wood imparts a delicate flavor with a hint of sweetness. Brings out the nature taste of fish and works well with chicken, pork and light-meat game birds.

Apple: Light, subtle sweet flavor. Most often used with poultry and wild game meat.

Ash: This is a fast-burning wood that presents a soft, smoky flavor. Good with seafood, beef, pork or poultry.

Cherry: Smoky, sweet flavor. Delicious used with poultry, game birds and pork. Serve a cherry chutney on the side to accentuate the flavor.

Corn cobs: Slightly sweet, fruity flavor that complements pork and poultry.

Grape vines: Tart and fruity, but can overpower meat if used liberally. Similar taste can be achieved by soaking milder-flavored woods in wine prior to smoking. Nice complement to lamb, red meats and wild game.

Hickory: Wood most often associated with barbecuing. The smoke delivers a heavy bacon-like flavor that’s perfect for smoking ham, pork or beef.

Maple: Slightly sweet with subtle maple syrup tones. Good with pork, poultry, cheese and game birds.

Mesquite: Very popular wood, with strong earthy flavor that can be bitter, so use sparingly. For long smokes, best to mix with lighter fruit woods. Burns hot. Good when preparing steak, duck or lamb.

Oak: Great fuel wood that’s often mixed with hickory for smoking. White oak presents a mild flavor, while red oak imparts a heavier taste. Good used with red meat, pork and wild game.

Peach: Sweet, woodsy flavor that is great paired with heavier woods. Works well with poultry, pork and fish.

Pear: Slightly sweet, woodsy flavor that complements natural flavor of game birds, poultry and pork.

Pecan: Robust, nutty flavor with a hint of sweetness. Similar to hickory but not as strong. Burns slow. Good with poultry, beef, pork and cheese.

Walnut: Most often used with lighter woods because of its heavy smoke flavor. Can present bitter flavor so use sparingly. Perfect for red meats and wild game.

Source: cottage-outfitters.com; barbecuewood.com; “Grillin’ with Gas” by Fred Thompson (Taunton Press)

Grilling by the numbers

Gas grills continue to top the charts as the most popular type of grill, followed by charcoal and electric.

57 percent of grills purchased (8.2 million in 2012) were gas.

41 percent of grills purchased in 2012 (5.9 million) were charcoal

2 percent of grills purchased (280,000) were electric

62 percent of grill owners use their grills year-round.

86 percent of households own an outdoor barbecue, grill or smoker.

54 percent of grill purchasers bought a replacement grill and 68% of those purchasers replaced their grill with the same type of grill

77 percent of respondents said the Fourth of July is the top grilling holiday.

75 percent of grillers use barbecue sauce for basting during cooking.

Source: Hearth, Patio Barbecue Association

A GARDEN designed by a Nottingham Trent University student has picked up a top award at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Jackie Setchfield entered her version of a 1950s Hebridean weaver’s garden at the world-famous show.

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   Beaming winner: Jackie Setchfield with Martin Anderson in her Hebridean weaver’s garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. Inset: How the garden was constructed.

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It was one of four 5x4m gardens entered into the artisan section of the centenary show, with Jackie’s being voted the best and picking up a gold award.

“I’m overjoyed,” she told the Post from the show. “I don’t think it will properly sink in for a couple of months.

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“It has made all of the hard work seem worth it. It is a fantastic honour to win this award.”

Students from across the university’s horticulture courses helped to develop the “Motor Neurone Disease – A Hebridean Weaver’s Garden” with Jackie, who is studying a foundation degree in garden design.

The show, which started on Tuesday, runs until Saturday.

Jackie visited the area to gain inspiration for her design.

It depicted a garden on the Isle of Lewis, brimming with dye plants. The garden was intended to be a nostalgic look back to an arduous way of life for the tight-knit communities in the 1950s.

As well as a blackhouse structure, it includes a spinning wheel, dye pot and a range of dye plants available in the middle of the last century.

There is a stream – or burn – with small waterfalls, along with wetland plants, wildflowers such as foxgloves and tufted vetch, as well as heathers, ferns, a tree and a small kitchen garden growing potatoes, onions and cabbages.

Jackie also worked with Motor Neurone Disease Association co-founder Martin Anderson on the design. It was created to help raise awareness of the charity.

Mr Anderson said: “I feel exhausted, elated and stunned. You always hope for gold but never know until you open the envelope. It is a fantastic achievement for everyone involved, especially with the weather being against us this year at every stage.”

Carol Wright, a senior lecturer in horticulture at Nottingham Trent University, said: “Everyone who has been involved is thrilled to have achieved a gold medal. The whole team have worked so hard to meet all the challenges involved and it is fantastic to get such a good result.”

Jackie added: “The award was announced on Tuesday morning before I even arrived. So I got there to a nice surprise.”

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Gnomes marched their way into one of England’s most prestigious gardening events this year. The 100th annual Chelsea Flower Show, which ends Saturday, opened its gates to the flower-friendly creatures for the first time.

Gnomes decorated by celebrities made their debut at the show and are now up for auction on eBay to raise money for a campaign that encourages school gardening. The highest bid for the seedling gnome decorated by Elton John tops 2,000 pounds. The figurines are available until Sunday at midnight.

“Alternately loved and loathed, the gnome epitomises the social divisiveness of garden design,” garden historian Dr. Twigs Way wrote for the BBC.

That divisiveness has been playing out among the show participants, The New York Times reports:

“Some exhibitors went proud and loud, putting gnomes in places they would not be missed, like in the middle of the grass. Others seemed to feel that gnomes may be fine for other people, but certainly not any people they know, or want to know. One renowned landscape architect, Robert Myers, hid a gnome in a tree in his display, lost his nerve and took it out again before the judges could see it.”

Way, author of Garden Gnomes: A History, tells NPR’s Scott Simon that gnomes were brought to England from Germany, where it was believed that the “mythical folk” helped in the garden and on the farm. When they first arrived in England during the Victorian period, gnomes were all the rage — and expensive.

“But the link with Germany, I’m afraid, was their undoing,” she says, “because, of course, as soon as the first world war broke out, not only could you not get German gnomes anymore, but of course people didn’t really want German gnomes anymore.”

Then, in the 1940s and ’50s, garden gnomes were back in style. Way says the animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs helped give them a boost.

Whether to include gnomes in the Chelsea Flower Show has been under debate for some time, she says.

“When the [Royal Horticultural Society] started having the show [in 1913], they put a blanket ban not just on gnomes, but on any colorful, mythical creature,” Way says.

“For about the last decade or so, there’s always been somebody that tries to sneak in a garden gnome because what they want to do, really, is say, ‘Who is this garden show for? Is it for the suburban gardeners who may love their gnomes? Or is it just an exclusive show at the high end?’ “

By Matthew Appleby
24 May 2013

24 May 2013

First, define how you will use the garden. Think about your lifestyle. As many
of us work longer hours, the time we spend in our gardens has shifted to
later in the evening (on the few days a year when the British climate
allows) and weekends.

So, ask yourself, will you actually dine outside in the evenings? Are you more
likely to sit indoors, reading the paper on a Sunday morning? If you have
children you will probably want to incorporate a play space within the
scheme or an area for cooking and entertaining. Or perhaps you are a keen
vegetable grower and want to include raised beds for cultivating salads or
vegetables.

You may prefer a low maintenance garden that looks good all year round but is
not used very much – possibly incorporating some storage and well-chosen
evergreen planting.

These decisions may seem banal, but defining the use of such a small plot is
extremely helpful – as too much clutter will result in the loss of overall
spaciousness.

Whatever your requirements, once you have a wish list you can start to look at
transferring it into the garden. (Usually at this point you will have
eliminated the more unrealistic asks: ponds, swimming pools, pergolas and
gazebos.) It’s all about balance. Although it is quite amazing how much can
be shoehorned into relatively little space, there does have to be room to
move around comfortably.

There are a few clever design tricks that can be utilised to make the most of
any small garden. Large-format hard landscaping is very effective; unified
boundaries and simple clean lines are a must, while grouping planters and
pots together creates an appealing and less claustrophobic overall impact.

Current fashions in garden furniture have resulted in the appearance of
supersized tables, chairs and outdoor sofas – surprisingly good at creating
the illusion of space. Hammocks or swing seats can also work. But whatever
you settle on, choose an all-weather option – preferably with waterproof
cushions that can be left out and mean the garden will look dressed and be
usable at a moment’s notice.

Further to how you use your small garden is the choice of how it actually
looks. The main surface will be the hard landscaping – such as paths,
sleepers or rockeries – and this needs to be selected carefully. You want
materials that can tolerate the vagaries of the British weather and will
look good with as little ongoing maintenance as possible.

Of course, there’s only so much you can do to defy nature. But if you select
low-maintenance materials, your upkeep will be minimal – making the garden
easier to look after and your enjoyment of it greater. Realistically, most
stone and wood will gradually collect algae, so maintenance will be
required. Accept the need now for some light maintenance – rather than none
at all – and you’ll achieve a happy balance.

Luckily, many natural stones come in a range of light hues and, since light
colours make a small space look much larger, this is probably the way to go.
They are also available in sizes up to 900x600mm off the shelf, which is a
good-sized stone and will help the space to look much roomier. Large-format
pavers tend to open the area up, because the eye picks up the stone itself
and not the jointing pattern.

It is a bold decision to opt for a large paver in a small garden, but it
always pays off. Limestone or sandstone look fantastic, but these need
regular cleaning – so the effort involved has to be offset against the
visual effect. Man-made stones are often easier to look after, but don’t
have the life expectancy of natural stone. And, while many people are phobic
about decking, a good hardwood can last for years and has the benefit of
slim, long-length boards that stretch the eye, making a space feel longer or
wider – depending on how it is laid.

If the garden is particularly small (and in London, where I live, it’s not
unusual to be presented with a space just a few yards square) another trick
is to rotate the design by 45 degrees. This will make the space feel larger
and creates a more interesting area by opening the eye up to the longest
boundary along a diagonal line. The garden will feel more dynamic. The same
goes for different levels; changes of floor height in a small garden can
seem quite daunting – as initially it seems like a way of limiting space. In
fact, the opposite is true.

A change of level adds interest, defines an area, can make a garden feel
bigger and will be more interesting to look at, even when the garden is not
in use. Gentle and regular steps of between six and seven inches high are
ideal – not too high to be uncomfortable and not too low to be a trip
hazard. Walls and raised beds can then be worked up in multiples of these
heights – for example, on a raised bed of 18 inches, steps of around six
inches look perfectly in proportion and act as an impromptu seat or ledge on
which to sit, garden or relax.

You may find this hard to picture but try drawing it out on paper. You will
quickly see that this method serves to create larger planting areas in the
corners of the garden, which can be populated with evergreen shrubs or
climbers to conceal problem areas such as unattractive walls or fences.

From a practical point of view, this is also beneficial to plants, which have
room to grow as they would naturally and take less ongoing maintenance. A
restricted palette is also good in a small space, as there are fewer
distractions to draw the eye. In houses where much of the rear elevation is
glass (in the form of doors or windows), this palette should have a high
percentage of evergreen plants – there’s no point in getting the design
right if the branches are bare for half the year.

Downsizing often results in limited access, which can impact the garden build.
If you don’t have a side gate, thought must be given to the materials.
Everything will have to be carried through the house and, no matter how
carefully handled, planting materials are by their nature rather messy. Yes
they can be bagged – but this process will extend the build time and its
cost.

The large area of usable ground in a garden is the usually the lawn. But in a
small plot is it worth the space it takes up? Will you need a shed for a
mower which takes up more room? More and more people in small gardens are
turning to high quality AstroTurf, which provides a dry, usable and pretty
much maintenance free area that can be used all year.

This really defines a small garden; form and function, give and take.

Gardens in the real world and those that live for just a week – like the one
I’ve built at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show – should all apply these basic
design principles. The use of a garden is vitally important to me and with
every Chelsea garden I have built – as with every private one – the space
has to be practical. So, this year there are places to sit, different
levels, wide steps and walkways which allow easy routes through and link
hard landscaping. This is mainly concrete and contrasts with more
complicated areas of “crazy paving”, which add texture and colour.

The plot is 33ftx33ft (10mx10m) and by digging down to create different levels
and sending the layout off at different angles, I hope to demonstrate that
even small spaces can look dynamic, interesting and ultimately larger than
they really are. Some of this is smoke and mirrors; much is clever compact
design, using the tricks described here.

The point is, with a bit of magic and know-how, every small space can become a
private oasis.

For more information and details of the Volkswagen up!, visit volkswagen.co.uk/up