January, 2005

Viewing Your Landscape from the Inside Out

By Rachel Ezekiel-Fishbein

The weather outside may be frightful, but from Brad and Dina Baker’s third-floor bedroom window in Old Wyncote, the view is peaceful and alluring. Without the leaves on the trees and the vivid colors of their flowering gardens, they are drawn to the depth of their stone patio and the way it complements the stone steps into their neighbor’s yard, the tranquility of the lone birdbath, and the beauty of the low winter sun coming through the seed heads of the hydrangeas.
Baker makes his living focusing on these small details that bring beauty to a cold, winter day. As the life force behind Baker Creative, the Wyncote landscape design firm, Baker begins the design process by viewing the landscape from the inside out, understanding that most people spend most of their time indoors.

“If you think about where most of us spend the majority of our time,” says Baker, “it’s indoors, particularly in the colder months. When I begin a project, I always start from the inside of the home, to determine what is visible from the rooms we use the most – the kitchen, the bedroom, the great room, the home office. Considering the view from the inside out is particularly important in new homes, because of the emphasis on oversized windows in those rooms.”
The view from the inside out should be considered not only from windows, but also from entrance ways that are regularly used. The first step in landscaping from this perspective is transforming objectionable views, such as trash cans or a neighbor’s house. These views should be screened by trees, shrubs or maybe a fence. Then add an appealing, eye-catching focal point, such as a specimen tree, colorful foliage or a decorative object, nearby. Utilitarian items, such as rakes and shovels, need a home where they don’t mar the view.

The open sight lines of winter, when the landscape lacks the colorful excitement of the warmer months, provide a challenge and an opportunity. “In the colder months, everything is visible and the architecture of the landscape plays a much more important role,” says Baker. “All your choices are more important, as items which normally blend in become your focal point. All of a sudden, without flowers hanging over a stone wall, you notice the play of the colors of the stones. During the winter, you see the interesting fence or gazebo.”

The secrets hidden under warm weather leaves can easily ruin the flow of your view, making good pruning critical. Broken branches or an unsightly tree limb will automatically draw your attention. Rather, your gaze should move through the landscape fluidly, and will do so if you have a graceful mix of well-tended plant material and hardscaping. Some of the most pleasant surprises of the winter garden will be those items you take for granted the rest of the year, such as the bird feeder which allows you to witness nature on the coldest day of the year from the warmth of your kitchen table.

In the winter, it is more important that you have a variety of shades in your evergreens, a mix of textures and depths of brown in the barks of your trees, and that you choose foliage with colorful stems and berries. This is also when sculptures and found objects take on a greater emphasis, and Baker often changes their placement for the season to fill spaces where foliage or flowers predominate at other times.

“The winter garden becomes the structure of the garden,” says Baker. “Then you fill in the palette of the landscape from the winter forward.” When the Bakers look out their bedroom window in the spring, the stone patio is eclipsed by azaleas, mountain laurels and hydrangeas, and the colorful leaves of a Japanese maple.

During the growing season, the natural light will highlight the view, but in the winter, how you light the outside of your home can have a major impact on what you see and how you see it. The harsh glare of security lights can ruin even the most beautiful view. Baker recommends switching to a 60-watt bulb, which will still provide security, but will also allow for the play of shapes and textures, giving your garden a softer appearance from inside.

A final suggestion from Baker is to turn the tables and bring the outside in. “Cut arrangements give you the ability to create a dynamic, changeable focal point inside your home,” says Baker. At this time of year, you can create wonderful cut flower arrangements with seed heads from ornamental grasses, colorful vines and willow branches. Place one in your kitchen window and draw attention to it by shining a kitchen spotlight on it.”

To contact Brad Baker at Baker Creative, call 215-884-4978 or go to www.BakerCreative.com.
Article courtesy Rachel Ezekiel-Fishbein, 215-635-1045; makingheadlinesl@comcast.net
Photos courtesy of Kim Sokoloff Photography

 

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