Posted on October 21, 2012, Sunday

LOOKING at the development of garden design and landscaping in Sarawak over the last two decades, we have seen the industry grow by leaps and bounds.

AT PEACE: Chinese-style gardens are designed to enable meditation.

Last week we focussed on Japanese ideals in garden design and this week we turn to China and its long history of landscape art.

Feng shui

These two words are direct translations of wind and water in Mandarin. The purpose of using feng shui in the garden is to create harmony. Those under the influence of Taoism believe in a cosmic energy called chi moving air or wind that is present everywhere.

According to this line of thought, it is of utmost importance to have chi flowing smoothly through the garden or house. This will apparently affect the inhabitants in terms of health, success, happiness and prosperity.

The art actually lies in influencing the flow of this cosmic energy to maximise the good fortune it imparts. Introducing some changes in the setting will allow for a smooth flow of chi. To an experienced feng shui practitioner, any space can be regarded as divided into eight sectors, following the earths magnetic or geological north and the rest southeast and west.

These techniques can be used in landscape design by controlling the colour, size, height, sound and shape of the plants, hardscape materials and the shape of the footpath or pool.

A friend named Dr Chang told me that having a pool of water in the east is less desirable for the younger generation, while in the west it is bad for the elders. This is because wind can create waves that will affect ones health.

Original post:

Chinese philosophy in garden design

By Donal Lenihan

Monday, October 22, 2012

You know the landscape is changing when Munster have to employ every marketing strategy in the book to fill Thomond Park for a Heineken Cup pool game.

Being offered the dawn shift at 12.45 on a Sunday certainly doesnt help.

After successive road trips to Heineken Cup champions Leinster, RaboDirect champions Ospreys and Racing Metro in Paris yielded nothing in terms of a win, Munster returned to Limerick yesterday hoping to draw strength and inspiration from their spiritual home.

In those circumstances, to finish with a four-try bonus point, Munster are entitled to feel a warm glow after this 33-point win.

While Rob Penney has banned talk of transition in the squad, the fact that Munster finished this game with JJ Hanrahan on the field, along with a whole host of players serving their apprenticeship at this level, does offer hope for the future.

That said, the quality of the opposition has to be put into context before anyone starts getting carried away. For the second week in a row Edinburgh were simply awful. For a side noted for their attacking prowess, going 160 minutes of Heineken Cup rugby without registering a single point, just tells you where they are at present.

Munster were offered a boost before kick-off with confirmation that the visitors try-scoring machine Tim Visser was forced off due to injury along with their out-half kicking ace Greig Laidlaw.

You just wondered where their points might come from. In the end, we didnt even get to find out who their replacement place-kicker was going to be as Edinburgh didnt even exert enough pressure to warrant a single kick at goal.

Excerpt from:

Heading in the right direction

APLD awards first place to Jones winning project, Renier residence, because of its understated elegance and simplistic serenity

Harrisburg, PA (PRWEB) October 18, 2012

A principal designer and director of design at Glen Gate Company, in Wilton, Connecticut, Jones award-winning project was selected out of sixty-five entries in the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) international juried competition.

Jones accepted his award on September 20 at the 2012 APLD International Design Conference in San Francisco.

After receiving the award, Jones humbly remarked, To be considered for this award among all the entries and ultimately to be given this distinction placing me in the company of APLDs esteemed past recipients is an accomplishment for which I am and will remain forever proud.

Visions of creating a relaxing retreat for family and friends during hot, humid summer days influenced Jones design. He built upon the existing infrastructure while enhancing the plain atmosphere and stark dcor.

When I first saw the turn of the century site I was instantly inspired by the space, which already had a pool and gardening shed, and I attempted to keep that history alive, Jones explained.

To achieve a summertime oasis, Jones knew integrating shade would be vital, so he let the shade pavilion become the focal point. He strove to create a cozy get-away, saturated in modern simplicity and vintage nostalgia.

Furthering this minimalism, Jones wanted to ensure the plant palette would complement, not overshadow the pavilion. When choosing plants for this design, local climate and zone drove his choices.

Native plants are more likely to succeed because theyve already adapted to the regions climate and soil, Jones explains. By pairing a few, choice plants with strong architecture, the space became balanced and eloquent.

Continued here:

Brandon Jones Named 2012 “International Landscape Designer of the Year” by the Association of Professional Landscape ...