Sunday, January 18, 2015

Garden Maps

I've been thinking about updating my garden map (the current one can be viewed at the "My Gardens" link above). I've made some significant changes to the layout of my garden areas since I drew that map last winter, and I'd like to update it. (Using Google Earth to trace over makes it easy.)

I love garden maps. I think every book or article about gardens should include a map of the garden. Even a quick sketch with crayons tells the reader so much about the relationship of the various areas of the garden to each other, and serves to orient the reader better than numerous confusing words trying to describe the layout. A picture is worth more than a thousand words in this case.

There are two types of garden maps: topographical maps (the regular sort of map in which the viewer is looking straight down from above) and pictorial maps (also called illustrated, perspective or bird's-eye maps, in which the viewer sees the objects depicted from an oblique view). Pictorial maps are far more interesting to look at and are often beautiful works of art, requiring artistic skill to draw or paint. I would love to be able to make one of these, but I fear my drawing skill might not be up to the task.

I'd like to share a few of my favorite garden maps, drawings and plans that I've run across in books and online, maps of real gardens as well as of fictional ones:


I think I may have gotten my love of garden maps from the illustrated maps in
books (like Winnie the Pooh, the Oz books, etc.). This drawing is from the
back cover of a Dell paperback reprint of Agatha Christie's "The Secret of
Chimneys." There's just something so cozy about how everything is laid out
for us to view, and I love all the hedges and garden rooms shown in this
English country house murder mystery illustration. 

Another literary illustration, this time from the incredibly charming children's book, "Miss Jaster's Garden" by Danish author and illustrator N. M. Bodecker. It's a beautifully silly story featuring a near-sighted lady gardener and a hedgehog who lives in her garden.

The illustration of Beverley Nichol's garden in "Down the Garden Path,"
published in 1932. The annotations and labels pique the viewer's curiosity to
learn more about these gardens and the stories behind them.
I love 1930s formal gardens!

Here's another view of Nichol's entire garden, showing the lovely illustrations around the perimeter of the map. The drawing was done by artist Rex Whistler.

One of the very finest modern garden maps done in a classic style is that painted by Jonathan Myles Lea for Roy Strong's Herefordshire, England garden, The Laskett. His book of the same title is one of the best books about making a garden that I have read, and one I return to again and again. I love that the gardeners and their cats have been portrayed in such memorable fashion around the title legend.

An architectural plan for Kansas City's Municipal Rose Garden, from the 1930s. This might not technically be a garden map, but it's so enjoyable to look at that I had to include it.  (Library of American Landscape History )

The beautifully illustrated map of Burtown House and gardens, a historic property that has been owned by three generations of artists, in County Kildare, Ireland. The map was painted in watercolor by artist Rosalind Jellet and the depiction is lovely, with multi-hued flowers and the fresh greens of late spring captured for posterity. Also, the labels of the various areas, like those of Nichols' gardens above, tell us the garden area names and also make us curious: Who is Wendy? Just how new is the New Garden? What is the Gallery-Cafe about? The Burtown House website offers a fascinating look at the history of a lovely Irish property and the generations of the family that has inhabited it -- and check out the Gallery for some breathtaking garden photographs by James Fennell, a professional photographer and resident at Burtown House, who generously permitted me to share this beautiful map. Another place to add to my list of places I want to visit when I finally make a trip to the ancestral homeland!

The garden plan for Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C., one of the United States' finest gardens. Although the map itself is done in a topographical format, the perimeter is surrounded by vignette drawings of numerous features of the gardens, which were designed in the 1920s and 1930s by Beatrix Ferrand

Lastly, this is an amusing garden map done as an advertisement for Whiskas cat food. It purports to be a guide map to the untamed wilderness of a backyard, from a housecat's perspective. Quite funny!
(From the imaginative work of leading British advertising agency AMVDDBO.)

I'm surprised that a book has not been published that features the art of garden maps from history and today. Perhaps I should publish such a book -- I'll add it to the list of projects I have already, the first of which will be to update my own garden map, even though it will be a far cry from these beautiful works of art. I'd better start working on my drawing skills!

Thanks for reading! -Beth

16 comments:

  1. Enchanting. I, too, love garden maps, well, to be honest, almost any kind of hand-drawn map. You've made a great collection which I will dig into further.

    I don't think your drawing skills are all that important. You could, for example, cut and paste pictures over a Google map. Leave it like that or use one of tools in an editing program that lets you "antique" or sketch" over your image.

    May I suggest: The Morville Hours by Katherine Swift, takes place in Shropshire, like Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael series which also contains maps, the hours referred to are those of Brother Cadfael as well; An Axe, a Spade and Ten Acres, the story of a garden and nature reserve, by George Cortlaudt on the Essex-Suffolk border; and last, one of my all time favorite books read many times, Reading the Landscape of America by May Theilgaard Watts, the last chapter called "The Stylish House" in particular.

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    1. Jane, thanks so much for the garden map book recommendations! I have read The Morville Hours (and loved the illustrations and that the author included a map), and I have a few of the Brother Cadfael mysteries -- I'll have to check to see if I have those particular ones. I've just ordered Reading the Landscape, and look forward to reading it. And your idea of antique-ing a Google map is a good one; I'll have to look into doing that. Thanks for reading! -Beth

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  2. Maps to illustrate an area are very enjoyable to study. They add to the pleasure when reading a novel when it's set in a country house estate or any area and I do enjoy looking at those in booklets one purchases when visiting a public garden. Looking forward to seeing your updated map of your land and garden areas. Linda :)

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    1. Linda, Yes, I agree, they do add so much to a book, and some of the public garden maps are very beautiful too. Thanks for reading! -Beth

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  3. What lovely pictures! That would be a great idea for a book! Such artistry. I wish I could draw a map of my garden, but, alas, my drawing skills are worse than my 7-year-old's :) Someday, maybe I'll get her to draw a map of my garden for me!

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    1. Indie, Just print out a Google Earth photo of your property, lightly trace over it on a piece of white paper, and then color it in with colored pencils, and label the areas with a fine ink pen. You can include labels about special plants and trees and it will help us all understand the different areas of your gardens when we read your blog. Easy peasy! Thanks for reading, -Beth

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  4. I would really love a map of my garden. I've always wanted one but have no drawing skills so therefore, no map. The ones you showed are so so fabulous. I love the cat one. Very clever!

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    1. Casa, Again, Google Earth makes it so easy to trace and color in with colored pencils. My next post will describe how to make an easy map that's accurate. Thanks for visiting! -Beth

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  5. In all of my years of gardening until I read your post I never thought about doing a map of my garden...how fun! I am in the process of making some changes and when I have finished, or even before, I am definately going to attempt doing this. Thank you!

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    1. I'm so glad you are thinking of making a garden map -- I think they add so much to the process of thinking about our own gardens, as well as making it easier for others to understand what we are trying to say with our gardens. I wish you good luck with making the map (my next post will cover the process in detail), as well as with your garden changes. Thanks so much for visiting, and for reading! -Beth

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  6. I love this post. I agree, I always enjoy books with maps like the ones in Beverley Nichols' books. I remember as a child being enchanted by the ones in the Milly Molly Mandy books.
    I think it is a great idea to make a garden map using google earth as a template.

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    1. Thanks, Chloris -- I'm glad you enjoyed the post. Book maps really do make stories more enjoyable, I agree. Thanks for reading! -Beth

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  7. This is a unique and fascinating posting, Beth. I love it. Now I am motivated to work on a map of my own garden. P. x

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    1. Thanks so much for reading it, Pam! Good luck in making a map of your own garden -- I can't wait to see it. -Beth

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  8. Thanks for directing me to this post, Beth! What lovely examples. I so want a real garden map for my own garden.

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    1. It's easier than you think to make one -- a topographical one anyway, not the pictorial kind if you're not artistic. But even a topographical one is nice to have. My next post after this one details how to make one simply using Google Earth. Thanks for reading! -Beth

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