Naming Your Garden

Words have meaning; Names have power

A map of New Orleans - no street names would make this very hard to navigate!

Imagine if there were no street names, no names of places, no identification of any kind...our world would be very difficult to navigate. A place name is essential - it gives form, meaning, and creates a concept or image for us to attach our thoughts to.

A good place name instills good feelings, excitement or anticipation

It has the ability to change our perception immediately.  A flower patch can become 'Mom's Garden' and, in a wink of an eye, the rag tag assortment of flowers is a special place indeed.

"I believe in the power and mystery of naming things.... I believe in naming what's right in front of us because that is often what is most invisible. "  - Eve Ensler

A name is the first step toward making the invisible, visible.

• If you name your idea for a screenplay, well then, there it is...now, you just have to write it

• If you give your budding business a great name then it makes it much easier to create those business cards.

So, if you name a place in your yard, Sunset Corner, you are on the road to creating an intimate space bathed in the rich reds and golds of late day and filled with appropriate afternoon delights.

I designed this sitting area looking out to the west. That stone wall is tall on the other side but we piled earth against it and I placed stones to create a rock garden. My company, Johnsen Landscapes & Pools, did the masonry, gardens, etc.

Or how about calling that low spot that is always wet, your 'rain garden'? Then the world opens up to new possibilities! In fact, I am creating a rain garden now in a place that was a no-mans-land before - now it is filled with Blue Bunny Sedge, Cattails, Marsh Marigolds, Juncus and more. The name came before the garden ever appeared.

Marsh marigolds in spring along with the wetlands plant, Skunk cabbage.

Placemaking depends on a name, as any real estate developer will tell you.  And so it is in a garden.  So go ahead, brainstorm about names. It’s fun and gets the brain juices flowing.

In one of my landscape projects, I have the Look Out Garden and the Buddha Garden. These are not grand areas but rather small spots, rich with meaning and sentiment. I have no signs but I use the names often in conversation....

You can also name areas for the time of year they look best - for example, you may have a summer garden and name it as such. Or the East Garden or Court. You can also name specific plant borders following their dominant colors. You can call one the Blue Border and another, the Hot border.

I took this garden sign at Hidcote Manor - one of the great gardens in England. It is in the Cotswolds.

Of course, I am assuming that the name has to be descriptive but this may not be your style.  I guess you could always name your garden, 'Bob'...

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