What Capability!

With the weather turning, affording bright blue, cloudless skies and moderate weather, it is time to give some thought to gardening, and planning what will be outside on my small, but pleasant, balcony this season. When the weather is mild, and refreshing, I like to take breakfast outside, listening to the birds sing, and the day begin. On these evenings, before our desert sun becomes too incredibly strong, prohibiting dining alfresco, I like to relax out there and enjoy dinner and a nice glass of red, or a good, single-malt scotch over a little pure water ice. Ahh!

Looking forward to these tranquil, simple delights, I remember the English Garden of the 18th Century, and its author, Lancelot "Capability" Brown (shown above). He was born in August 1716 and lived until 1783. He was a true landscape architect, known as "England's Greatest Gardener", his nickname coming from his fondness for speaking of a country estate as having great "capability" for improvement. He was certainly capable, indeed, and remembered for his prolific 170 count of parks, which still endure.

In 1739 he was commissioned to design a new lake for a park in Kiddington Hall, in Oxford, then he moved on to Buckinghamshire, where he joined the gardening staff at Stowe. There he married a local girl, and had the first four of his children.

He was sought after as his reputation grew for gardening excellence, and eventually, he designed for the Churchill family's gorgeous Blenheim Palace estate as well a the Chatworth House in the Peaks District, in Derbyshire. Above is shown Blenheim's lovely rose garden.

Mazes were an atractive addition to any huge estate, and in the picture above, you can see the one he designed at the Chatsworth House, that was owned by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. I have visited Chatsworth, and it is a site to see. I took tea in the garden there with my daughter. Sitting back, enjoying some English Breakfast, and little cakes, I fondly remember the time together there as relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable.

Brown's style of smooth undulating grass among scattered trees and serpentine lakes lends less formality, and a more natural approach to the garden, working with nature as opposed to making plants and trees conform to the space. I think that is why this style is so pleasing; it is organized, without appearing so.