When you enter a garden, would you like to have a place to hang out, and perhaps have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine while you enjoy the garden surrounding you? I refer to such hang out areas as sanctuaries (I know it is too big a word). Ideally, the environment of such hang out places should be conducive to the reflection/refreshment of your thought, or at least stress relieving. Often such areas involve expensive hardscape. In my case, I tried to get away with as little cost as possible (so that more resources can bedirected to acquire more new and interesting plants). Perhaps some day, I will set aside some resources for some hardscape in these areas. It is just the beginning; so don't judge me too hard.
Here we have a wisteria trellis over a small raised deck with sufficient furniture for four to dine, and a couple of rocking chairs that can easily rotate.
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Here we have a wooden sitting box built around the trunk of a hawthorn tree adjacent to a small patio. (The box also hides some of the irrigation manifold for the surrounding areas.) It is surrounded by a shade garden plants.
The deck outside the sunroom is the most conevient place to relax outside the house, and enjoy the garden. It is shaded by the sihouette of a dawn redwood tree, a maple, and a cherry. It is hard to keep it clean, but it is worth it.
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Here we have a simple bench on a small patio that leads to the front and the back of the house.
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This is intended to be a spot to enjoy the waterlilies and other plant surrounding the pond. It is under development, will not have much to see for the next couple of years.
There is nothing more dreadful than imagination without taste.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
