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WBM july 2011
Facing south, the French parterre
entry court, enclosed by a sea of maiden
grass, features granite-lined gravel paths,
boxwood hedges, annuals and a central
millstone fountain. To the east is
the runnel garden that contains a dry
streambed. To the rear of the house, on
the north side, is the lower terraced rill
garden built around a functional water
channel. This garden transitions to the
natural wooded fern and hosta garden
beyond.
Although each space is different and
has its own unique purpose, each is tied
to the other through Parker’s masterful
use of repetition in form, line, color,
texture and materials — all fundamental
elements of garden design.
Dramatic yet harmoniously balanced,
the Blinn gardens achieve a restful,
peaceful solitude. The gardens’ dynamics
are grounded in four elements: the
built environment, water, plants and
wildlife, yet the most striking aspect is
the sense of movement achieved by the
creation of pathways and the selection
of plant choices. While evergreens, the
backbone of any garden, are prominent,
the grasses, sedges, ferns and herbaceous
perennials are the stars of the show.
Used in bold, painterly strokes, their
fine-textured foliage blows easily in the
wind to create a dramatic and fluid
effect as well as a pleasant auditory
rustle.
Karla notes, “This garden is all about
texture, movement, sound and smell,”
which makes it all about the senses.
Movement is introduced through fluid
water features and Landfall’s wildlife
population, which darts in and out of
the plant cover. The gardens’ paths,
curved walls and terraced steps create
a sense of progression and destination
from each space to the next, from granite
lined gravel to flagstone to stepping
stones to mulch, every walking surface
except sod is represented.
It is easy to spot the international
influences in the Blinn gardens. Karla
says that she and David have traveled
the globe visiting Europe, Asia
and Japan, Australia and Africa. With
each trip, they visited more and more
gardens. “This garden,” she says, “is a
conglomeration of many of the gardens
we’ve visited.”