If your yard makes you feel like you’re on display, James Hanselman recommends adding trees, strategically selected and placed to provide privacy and shade. “Our Lancaster clients, for example, owned a small, flat corner lot in full view of other houses and everyone who drove by,” he recalls. “They wanted to spend time outside but felt as though they were in a fishbowl. They were considering moving, but after we designed and installed their backyard paradise, they decided to stay.”
The photo here shows the transformation James and his team made to this Lancaster County, PA property: from bleak, “public” backyard to private, restful oasis!
Contributed by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife (& “Eden garden” beneficiary)
“Bare branches of each tree
on this chilly January morn
look so cold so forlorn.
Gray skies dip ever so low
left from yesterday’s dusting of snow.
Yet in the heart of each tree
waiting for each who wait to see
new life as warm sun and breeze will blow,
like magic, unlock spring’s sap to flow,
buds, new leaves, then blooms will grow.”
~ Nelda Hartmann (American poet, in “January Morn”)
Shared by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife (& watchful winter wonderer)
Traditional methods for today’s gardens
As you plan your garden, you may be encouraged to know that Japanese garden techniques which have been ‘tried and true’ for thousands of years are still appropriate for today’s gardens, no matter the style.
Through his garden research, James Hanselman, principal at Hanselman Landscape, has been inspired by the beauty and practicality of Japanese garden traditions. “The Japanese have found ways to incorporate natural beauty in appropriate, sustainable, and elegant ways, even in very tiny urban spaces,” he confirms. “I have dedicated myself to learning and applying Japanese design and care techniques, regardless of the style of the garden.”
Contributed by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife
“I have found . . . that people garden to make something grow; to interact with nature; to share, to find sanctuary, to heal . . . to leave a mark. Through gardening, we feel whole as we make our personal work of art upon our land.”
~ Julie Moir Messervy (Contemporary American landscape designer and author)
Why do you garden? Feel free to leave your reasons in the comments below. And if you don’t “garden” per se, perhaps you own a garden? If so, why? We’d love to read your responses. Maybe we can partner with you to express your own garden raison d’etre!
Shared by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife
Plan well!
The first step in restoring paradise to your property is to thoughtfully and carefully plan the garden you’re envisioning. This process is much easier with the help of an experienced garden-design professional.
A great deal of preparation goes into each of Hanselman Landscape’s projects to ensure that the clients’ needs and aspirations are fulfilled. “We encourage our clients to supply photos of treasured places and memories they hope to re-create,” James Hanselman states. For example, one couple asked Hanselman to reproduce a waterfall similar to one they had hiked to in Central America (see below for the realization of their dreams).
In addition to discussing budget, scope, and site, Hanselman prioritizes suitability, elegance, and sustainability before presenting the proposed designs.
Contributed by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife
