Susan Schlenger Comments on "Gracious Grounds" (Robb Report Collection, January, 2006)

By English Designer Tom Stuart-Smith

I 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. Part of the discussion included 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 I explain about using formal edges of Boxwood in  designs but that hedges can be made from many different types of plant material.

"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.

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Susan Schlenger Landscape Design › Recognitions › Robb Report Collection Article