A tranquil place: create your own outdoor escape - Garden - Brief Article

Sunset, June, 2003 by Lauren Bonar Swezey

One of the best places to find respite from the outside world is your garden. There, surrounded by greenery, fragrant flowers, and objects you love, you can relax and reconnect with nature.

For Cindy Jo Rose, who created these two sanctuaries at her home in Capitola, California, there is another benefit too. Her house is so small, she says, that her comfortably furnished outdoor nooks add to her living space.

For one tranquil corner, Rose screened part of the driveway with easy-care plants and bamboo trellises. Then she added a rattan chair and table, a water bowl, and garden art.

In the backyard, Rose, collaborating with designer Lynn Robinson (831/426-5452), used a fountain as the focal point of her "stone circle," which is paved with gravel, marbles, and beach rock. Paper umbrellas and a bench add to the magic. "The garden is my haven," says Rose.

RELATED ARTICLE: How to make a serene space

Create privacy.

Enclose the area with a fence, arbors, trellises, tall shrubs, or robust vines.

Use easy-care plants.

Choose ones that don't need lots of water or fussing over once established. Avoid plants that drop copious amounts of litter--maintenance shouldn't be a burden.

Add sensory elements.

Include a small fountain or water bowl. Fill pots with fragrant plants such as gardenia.

Include seating.

Add a bench, chair, or swing.

Illuminate.

Use low-voltage lights or portable lanterns. Float candles in water containers.

Make it your own.

Fill the space with favorite furnishings and garden art. Shop flea markets and junk stores for pieces that speak to you.