……towards an individually tuned garden.
A successful garden should entice one to linger and invite daydreaming…contemplation. This garden can be an intensely personal place where one may be ‘magnificently alone’ or in the company of their intimate few.
The reflective potential of this space can be enhanced through memory. Elements that echo prior sensory experiences can be developed to draw upon an individual’s historical associations….a sound…a scent….a mood may be present that establishes a profound personal response.
Please note – this interaction between the space and the person is a unique process. What you see here is not necessarily what another may see. Thus client time invested in developing a proper program is important to produce a garden with experiences that are meaningful to that client.
Peg’s Garden – program thoughts
Peg grew up on a large Wisconsin lake where structural wood piers extended up to 140 feet from the shore. Memories of water, wood, boating, swimming and hanging-out with friends are important
Presently living in the mountains of Colorado and missing a connection with water, Peg has added flat water river kayaking to her life.
Descriptions of these trips include; savoring morning coffee with friends sitting on a sandbar watching the sun rise move across the canyon walls, while evening cocktails and dining complete days spent moving down river and hiking up side canyons seeing waterfalls and Indian 
ruins…and now, simply sitting under the stars with good friends have become cherished moments.
Peg’s Garden – development thoughts
The cantilevered deck has been placed close to the water surface and the pier / deck transition given a threshold gap to simulate stepping on to a boat.
The deck bench has been ergonomically proportioned for long duration seating comfort as well as setting body postures similar to a low camp chair experience. 
Care was also given to supporting varied social seating positions and distances around the fire bowl. It is envisioned that soft wide seat cushions that drape from the bench edge and wraps of luxuriant fabrics be developed to increase comfort and elicit a sensual experience when gathering under the stars.
To recall the canyon walls, large slabs of sedimentary stone have been placed on edge in a persistent ‘fin style’ outcrop. The waterfall outcrop explores a lower horizontal set with a negative face angle creating opportunities for shadows to contrast with light catching in the falling water. While the deck side outcrop explores a taller vertical set with a positive face angle to increase the feeling of being within a canyon. 
There are two drops in the fall set, the upper of 18″ and the lower at 60″ from fall crest to pond surface. Given a pond depth of 36″ the lower fall stone would be over 8 feet high. The canyon stones reach just over 14 feet.
Additional design thoughts – a fine water spray is under consideration to seed the formation of a frozen waterfall on the stone walls during winter…the ice falls could have soft internal illumination for star light gatherings.
Closing thoughts
Given its theme, Peg’s garden has developed into a rather grand, but build-able, proposal. Please note, that size does not determine the success of a particular garden and that many very moving spaces have been created within surprisingly small confines. In a smaller area memory triggers may shift from literal recreations towards symbolic forms that generate an impression.
The premise of experiential continuity as an element of garden design emerged from years of post-construction conversations. It is fascinating to watch soft subconscious program thoughts become clear connections for owners after living with their gardens for a time. And hearing their statements of discovery and enjoyment has deepened my appreciation for the practice of design.