Designing Garden Spaces that Reflect the Soul
with Carole & Ray Buchanan, Mary Rogers Rhoades ’81

Because Landscape Gardens attempt to organize space in an aesthetically pleasing manner, the best combine principles of art, architecture, and gardening. Patterns created in nature reflect a certain form, color, and texture as well as a sense of balance, rhythm, and accent. Cultural values are intrinsically associated with these principles of design and determine how they are applied. Landscape Gardens in Japan incorporate the juxtaposition of contrasting forms in order to achieve a sense of tranquility. The mathematical precision of the gardens at the Palace of Versailles celebrates rational human dominance over nature. And in Dallas... well, we’ll discover that together.

In two, 2-hour evening sessions, the group will discuss and analyze how design features of a landscape garden reflect the cultural values of its creators. On the following Saturday, the group will visit a garden in ther Dallas Arboretum in the morning and apply the principles discussed; then, in the afternoon, the group will visit two outstanding home Landscape Gardens. Readings will be provided.
Sessions: Two, 2-hour evening meetings & one full Saturday (with lunch at the Arboretum)

When: Wednesday, Thursday, & Saturday, April 16, 17, &19
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m. and 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Cost: $180
Limit: 20 participants

Register at least two weeks before your class first meets.

With doctorates in international subjects (she in African history and he in Russian history), Carole and Ray Buchanan have spent their 35 years of teaching searching for the broader and integrative context for human experiences. Teaching advanced level courses at the college and high school level and extensive travel in Russia, Africa, Europe and Asia sharpened this interest. They find special delight in exploring how plants, psychology, and aesthetics provide us with special insights into human nature.

Mary Rhoades graduated from Greenhill in 1981 and from Skidmore College in 1985, with a degree in Economics and Philosophy. After college, Mary had a short stint in Public Affairs (much more enticing than Public Relations). Today, in addition to raising her children and caring for her family and supporting her husband in building their helicopter charter service, Zebra Air (you can see the zebra striped helicopter daily flying the skies of Dallas for live broadcasts of radio and TV traffic reports), she is an avid and highly experienced gardener with extensive contacts throughout the Dallas gardening community, including the Dallas Arboretum.

For questions, contact Christine Eastus at afterdark@greenhill.org, or by phone at (972) 628-5441.