Style DEC (01.12.16)

STYLE | art 45
THE ART OF A GARDEN
Can gardening be defined as art? Anne Hudson explores this concept and
takes us on a tour of Flaxmere, Penny Zino’s garden in North Canterbury.
Penny Zino had a vision. She wanted
to create something of beauty that
complimented the surrounding landscape,
blending in with the form of the North
Canterbury hills, river and terraces.
There is no doubt Flaxmere is a work of
art, but this artist had to truly understand
how it would form over time. How will
the plants grow? What will they look like in
different seasons, and in their juvenile and
mature states? What will the weather do to
them? Is there enough water or shelter for
them to grow? The painter can dab his or her
colour onto the canvas and there it is, they
do not have to wait and see how it might
develop over time. The garden artist must
see into the future and take risks with the
elements. This is art in the environment.
Flaxmere is a mature garden with a
Japanese bridge crossing over ponds
covered in lily pads. One wonders, was she
inspired by Monet’s paintings? In another
part of the garden, a swampy area has been
planted with New Zealand beech trees
and other native plants, reminiscent of a
mountain walk. The variety of beech trees is
testament to Penny’s botanical knowledge.
Each visit provides some new design. A
playful swirl of tussock grass draws the eye
down from a formal lawn into the native area,
and pathways gently lead you to new vistas.
Floral beds and neat edges give way to paths
and loose planting.
A rose garden and pool offer a formal
layout, and from here the eye pans to a
theatrical view of the mountains framed by
poplars and a lovely wooden gate, beyond
which a mown path leads into the field
and almost to infinity. It is these vistas that
have earned Penny her artist status and her
work recognition as a Garden of National
Significance by the New Zealand Gardens
Trust.
A recent visit to the Netherlands to study
with the renowned landscape architect Piet
Oudolf has been the inspiration for a new
area of mixed grasses and annuals. They grow
to a height of about 1m, offering an expanse
of varied colour and texture. Penny continues
to try out new ideas and new plants in this
North Canterbury environment.
Penny has designed and constructed much
of this garden herself. Its structure and layout,
the perfectly created vistas and wandering
water features, plus the stonework and
planting, point to the work of an artist – but
can we describe the garden as a work of art?
A garden is a strong metaphor of change
and flux. Each time one enters the garden
it is different, dictated by those elements
that affect all life forms. This garden is no
exception, and provides a constant reminder
to us that life has a cycle; that renewal and
death are part of all life cycles. We learn to
understand our place in the natural world
by taking a walk in this beautiful landscape.
The sublime, the romantic, the benign and
the poisonous all co-exist within this work of
art – one which works conceptually as well
as formally.
Flaxmere is open by appointment to
the public and is available for garden tours,
weddings and events. Each year, at the end of
October, Art in a Garden is held at Flaxmere,
showcasing not only the beautiful garden but
also sculpture, painting, ceramics, glass, and
jewellery, providing us with an opportunity to
immerse ourselves in aesthetic pleasure.
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