By Ross Palmer

An odd heading so please bear with me! One of the most essential elements if not THE principal element I consider when planning a new bed, a new garden, or the renovation of an existing one is the place. The genius loci.

To explain, this from Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “the pervading spirit of a place” or for a more accurate meaning as used by the Romans “Originating from classical Roman religion, genius loci refers to the protective spirit of a place”.

From Pith and Vigor, a good American garden design blog “In landscape design usage, genius loci usually refers to a location’s distinctive atmosphere, or we often like to say ‘the spirit of the place’.”

Certainly, one of the many reasons people are celebrating Jo Wakelin's extraordinary garden is her reverence to the genius loci. The visual connection to the wider landscape, her curtsy to it. There is more in the Wakelin Garden though, the celebration of the harshness of the climate; that drought which visits every year, the wind that flows unchecked around the house, the intensity of the colour of the landscape mirrored in the plantings in times of drought and cold.

*Jo Wakelin’s resilient dry garden, Central Otago, New Zealand*

Beth Chatto’s much admired and copied gravel garden is in fact thoroughly informed by the genius loci of her corner of Essex, the driest county in the UK experiencing < 600mm annually. Beth referenced this planting as the carpark garden - as this was created from the carpark which over time had become too visible from the house. A new garden within a well visited garden.

The reference in this case to the genius loci is the lack of soil, 700mm of compacted subbase with a local gravel topping, a tall greedy Leyland hedge and postionedwith full exposure to the cold easterly wind. This was said to be inspired by a visit to one of our braided rivers, system (Not sure this is true however why would we dispute this!) In this case, the genius loci is truly local.

*Bath Chatto’s Gravel Garden, Essex, England*

Be it specific to a bed or to the wider locale as in the examples above; a carpark, or a panoramic view of the Pisa Range. I would argue it is thorough site analysis by these two quite different gardeners that led them to a create gardens which are sustainable. The constraints of the site and location determine what a rational response should look like. Low input gardens appropriate to climate and pocket.

Also worth noting is that, by looking closely at what is at hand, what our local story is will lead us to where we become the most interesting. You can see Beths groundbreaking work in Jo’s masterpiece in her clear embracement and understanding of her local Genius Loci.

The old adage, “Right plant, right place” has never been more correct.