Brian Minter: Emily Erlam brings environmental sensitivity, inspiration to garden design
Credit to Author: Aleesha Harris| Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2020 19:00:58 +0000
A Sense of Place: Designing Gardens with Impact
When: Jan. 31, 7 p.m.
Where: H. R. MacMillan Space Centre
Tickets and info: $30 at eventbrite.ca, gardendesigngroup.ca
If you have an interest in landscape design or would like to broaden the vision for your own garden, don’t miss this lecture by renowned British landscape designer Emily Erlam.
Erlam, invited by The Garden Design Group, brings a wealth of experience, environmental sensitivity and inspirational ideas to the art of garden design.
Postmedia News spoke to Erlam by phone at her office in London.
Erlam’s initial training was in media, which provided her with a career in television, but her job involved a great deal of travelling and working long hours, especially in the evenings.
At first it was exciting, but once she had a husband and two small children, the job became very challenging. So, Erlam searched for opportunities in a new field. As a result of her travels in different European countries, she had developed a very strong interest in architecture.
This passion led her to the London College of Garden Design and the English Gardening School. Upon completion of her studies in 2008 she began her practice of landscape design, and has been creatively engaged ever since.
Garden designed by Emily Erlam. Photo credit: Emily Erlam Landscapes.
Did her television experience help her design process?
“Overwhelming so,” Erlam said, explaining that the visual aspects of television gave her great insights into the art of presentation. The elements of composition, the constant need for preparation, the challenge of creating a sense of drama, and the necessity of staying within a budget also paralleled her design career.
Erlam approaches each site with great sensitivity, and she has learned to observe carefully and distil what’s already there. She employs her sense of play to create the essence she’s looking for.
First, there are the physical elements — the buildings, the plants, the surrounding vista and everything that’s existing, even the fine details.
Next, she considers her emotional response — how the site makes her feel. Erlam’s talent is to weave these two concepts together to achieve harmony and to capture the essence of the place.
Because not all buildings are great, her approach is to tone down the things that are not so attractive and to tweak the architecture, searching for hidden charm. Erlam says it’s necessary to remember that the building, be it a home, office or warehouse, is the centre of the design, and it’s critical to get it right.
Garden designed by Emily Erlam. Photo credit: Emily Erlam Landscapes.
Theming is also very important — don’t mix contemporary with historical, she says.
With the growing trend of urbanization and high-density living, Erlam thinks it’s essential to take the long view when considering the future of landscape design.
“It’s important to look not 20 years ahead, but rather image 200 years into the future. Plan and plant a tree to last 300 years. It’s what we do in Britain. It’s our history.”
Looking to the future, Erlam believes that rooftop gardens and terraces will be the order of the day, but they must be created with great tolerance for the changing climatic conditions.
She is quite opposed to most living walls because the maintenance and water they require is far out of proportion. They must be improved, she says.
Erlam acknowledges that we are still in the early stages of urban planning and urban forestry and believes there is much yet to learn.
A garden designed by Emily Erlam. Photo credit: Emily Erlam Landscapes.
Well aware of the connections between people and plants, Erlam believes that landscape design is about helping to improve lives. A garden must speak to the age and the different times in a person’s life, she says, and when a difficult situation occurs, all someone may have is their garden, and it must be there specifically for that person.
Because environmental concerns are playing a more important role in people’s lives, Erlam believes that in today’s garden designs it is important to take a softer approach by creating only a light footprint. She also warns against removing or adding too much. Her advice: Use what’s there, and whatever you do, it must be for the long term.
According to Erlam, each project is unique, and it’s critical to find the opportunities in each design and to make the most of them.
She says it is vital to realize how transformative a space can be, and garden designers should take time to consider the feel and the sensory potential of a space for a garden that is both relaxing and uplifting.
These are but a few of the refreshing approaches Erlam brings to her designs. In England, she says, probably less than 30 per cent of gardens are professionally designed, and believes it is a shame because they could be so much more. Sometimes we’re limited by our own imaginations.
Don’t miss Erlam’s lecture, you may come away with a whole new vision for your own garden.
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