The “Best” Gardens

Margaret Roach (2023, “More Plants, More Life, More Pleasure:  What Sets the Best Gardens Apart,” The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/09/realestate/gardening-landscaping-ecological.html ) has spent a lot of quality time figuring out what sets the best gardens apart from those that are merely OK.

She writes that in biophilic gardens, sustainable places where people thrive “Having an ecologically responsible landscape doesn’t mean you need to get rid of your favorite plants: ‘It’s about letting things in.’ . . . more is better: more flowers, more color, more life.  Our traditional lawn- and hardscape-heavy landscapes can’t compete. . . . A garden is at its most effective—by both biophilic and ecological measures—the Phyto team believes, when it is ‘immersive’ [i.e., full of rich plantings]. . . . the Phyto designers seek to build in maximum diversity—what Ms. West refers to as the ‘ecological intensification’ of a site—by using ecologically high-performance plants that match their aesthetic goals. . . . Ms. West and Mr. Rainier develop resilient herbaceous mixes: several or more compatible, interlocking species of similar height, chosen to create multiple moments of visual effect throughout the season. . . . Phyto’s landscapes often have a savanna-like feel.”

For her article, Roach interviewed Claudia West and Thomas Rainer, the founders of Arlington, VA landscape architecture firm Phyto.