‘Geometry in Motion’

a Garden by Lisa Bauer, Chartreuse Landscape Design

***Humor Wells

The mundane is an opportunity for transformation. Humor in the garden helps us to relax and not take ourselves so seriously. Surprise is an essential part of humor. Look for the Humor Wells where you would normally look away, and imagine your own humorous underworld.

*Photos by Doreen Wynja.

Steel arcs, ovals, squares an arcing stone path, concrete, water and an offset formal hedge define the garden. As a landscape designer, this is what I love:  Shapes in opposition, hardscape vs. softscape, vertical vs. horizontal. Garden elements fit together like a puzzle surrounding the house.  Bold geometry becomes the logical solution for designing in tight urban spaces and is fundamental to my love of modern art. 

 A water feature near the front door is a beacon to guide people to the back yard, where hardy tropical plants grow. The back yard features a mural by artist Robert Sperry centered over a long water feature filled with fish and carnivorous plants. Bronze crows by artist Patti Warashina guard the water feature filled with fish. Birdhouses float at the back of the garden among the hardy tropical plants, containing the high walled room. It is a place to look for surprises.