Fig leaves and “Bling”

by Rosara Outdoor Style | Jun 21, 2019

Back in 1483, Poggio Bracciolino was laughed at for putting classical statues in his garden, but when the Renaissance style was born, everything from warriors to cherubs began to pop up everywhere. There is something about classical sculpture that indulges our senses, from making us giggle at discreetly carved fig leaves in modest places, to squirming in discomfort as animal heads emerge from beautiful human forms.

Sculpture placement is extremely important, as inappropriately placed pieces can look like abandoned ‘litter’ in the garden, clashing with their surroundings rather than adding to the landscape. Rousham, a well-curated sculpture garden in Oxfordshire, was designed by William Kent in the 18^th century and is still lovingly preserved today by the Cottrell Dormer family and their wonderful head gardener, Ann. Every piece at Rousham has meaning, a sense of place, and tells a story as you roam along winding paths that link through the simply planted wooded valleys. Kent’s unchanged landscape remains a timeless classic, where the thoughtful garden structure is adorned with plenty of points of interest as you move throughout the grounds. Kent was once quoted as saying he ‘jumped the fence and saw that all nature is a garden’. His reflection resonates with my considered dislike of ‘bling’, and shiny or garishly coloured ornaments disrupting the natural beauty of a landscape.

At Nicholsons, our design team shares Kent’s intentions to develop outdoor spaces that celebrate the wonderful nature of our temperate gardens. We are blessed with rich green grass, seasonal foliage and an abundance of native flowers. As designers, we immensely enjoy taking these wonderful ingredients and applying intelligent spatial design to yield creative and personal solutions for our clients. Our intention is to design and build landscapes that will stand the test of time - we can certainly dream to reach the longevity achieved by Kent.

Charlbury Oak Table And what of furnishing our gardens? In the home, we may change wallpaper, paint and furnishings without a second thought, yet who amongst us would consider an exterior designer? Rather than seeing the garden as merely an addition to a house, I consider outdoor space to be its own beautiful building; a space to be personalised, developed and shaped with the same love and attention that we give to our interiors. Rosara, gives garden furnishing its rightful place. Designed to sit in harmony with the natural beauty of the outdoors, Rosara’s subtle garden lighting range and stylish furniture will complete your garden, elevating the simple to the simply beautiful.