Susan Schlenger was recently interviewed for the article "Gracious Grounds" appearing in the Robb Report Collection (January 2006), a magazine devoted to upscale real estate and home design.

The article discusses different types of landscapes, including the formal garden and explains that during the extravagant days of European royalty, formal gardens with geometric forms and precise symmetry symbolized the wealth and influence of the period. In sharing her expertise, Susan discusses how social history influenced garden design.

"As society became less formal, so too did its gardens. Today, at least in the United States, garden designers have moved away from such formality and lean toward a more natural free-form design."

"Many homeowners want low-maintenance gardens these days. However, formal does not always negate "contemporary" - the two coexist quite comfortably in many an estate."

In the article Susan explains that she regularly uses formal edges of boxwood in her designs but adds that hedges can be made from many different types of plant material, including Burning Bushes, Rhododendrons and Inkberry Holly. She states:

"Creating a formal display is not so much about the specific plant material but in how it is used."

Other expert sources for "Gracious Grounds" include prominent landscape designers Penelope Hobhouse and Tom Stuart-Smith of England.