Creating a garden focal point
Follow these expert tips to create interest in your garden
**1. Choose the Object**
**Focus on one key thing.** A focal point is an element that immediately draws attention; it can be a sculpture, fountain, piece of furniture, a structure, container or specimen plant. Too often, gardens have multiple elements vying for attention with no hierarchy to them. A single attention-grabber works best.
*—Kent Ford, Kent Ford Design, Toronto* **Use a splash of colour**—a brightly painted object, a flamboyant garden flag or an urn of vivid flowers—to create a compelling eye-catcher.
*—Linda van Vulpen, Van Vulpen Design, Halifax*
**2. Pick a Place**
**To position a focal point, take a few photos** from where you usually sit in your home or garden, or from the street for front yards. Analyze the shots to find a spot that has more than one vantage point. Avoid putting the focal point too close to the house. Place a piece of sketch paper over the photos, and draw in different elements to try them out for size and location. It’s far easier to make changes on paper!
*—Martin Wade, Martin Wade Landscape Architects, Toronto* **Relate the placement of a focal point to an axis** off the house, walkway or patio.
*—James Dale, Earth Inc. Designed Landscapes, Toronto* **Consider where you will have a good view of a focal point.** For example, down a path; from a window of the house; leading out from an entrance; through a gate or opening in a hedge; or along the main axis of the garden.
*—Stuart Webster, Stuart Webster Design, Montreal* **3. Sharpen the Focus** Flank a path with tall plants like bamboo, ornamental grasses or small trees to **create an allée** that will channel attention to the focal point.
*—Linda van Vulpen, Van Vulpen Design, Halifax* **Light your focal point** so the effect is experienced at night as well.
*—Stuart Webster, Stuart Webster Design, Montreal* **Use paving material with linear patterns** to direct the eye to the focal point. Place a sculpture at eye level so it is quick to grab attention.
*—Joel Loblaw, Earth Inc. Designed Landscapes, Toronto* **Set your focal point against a solid background** such as dense evergreens to make it stand out.
*—Kent Ford, Kent Ford Design Group, Toronto* **Frame your focal point** with lawn, gravel or hedging. Stick with simple lines for the frame like a rectangle, square, circle or oval; too many curves or lines can be distracting.
*—Marius de Bruyn, Aesthetics+Design, Oakville, ON* Have gardening tips to share? Send us Your Ideas and the best tips will be included in a future issue of Gardening Life.
*—Kent Ford, Kent Ford Design, Toronto* **Use a splash of colour**—a brightly painted object, a flamboyant garden flag or an urn of vivid flowers—to create a compelling eye-catcher.
*—Linda van Vulpen, Van Vulpen Design, Halifax*
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*—Martin Wade, Martin Wade Landscape Architects, Toronto* **Relate the placement of a focal point to an axis** off the house, walkway or patio.
*—James Dale, Earth Inc. Designed Landscapes, Toronto* **Consider where you will have a good view of a focal point.** For example, down a path; from a window of the house; leading out from an entrance; through a gate or opening in a hedge; or along the main axis of the garden.
*—Stuart Webster, Stuart Webster Design, Montreal* **3. Sharpen the Focus** Flank a path with tall plants like bamboo, ornamental grasses or small trees to **create an allée** that will channel attention to the focal point.
*—Linda van Vulpen, Van Vulpen Design, Halifax* **Light your focal point** so the effect is experienced at night as well.
*—Stuart Webster, Stuart Webster Design, Montreal* **Use paving material with linear patterns** to direct the eye to the focal point. Place a sculpture at eye level so it is quick to grab attention.
*—Joel Loblaw, Earth Inc. Designed Landscapes, Toronto* **Set your focal point against a solid background** such as dense evergreens to make it stand out.
*—Kent Ford, Kent Ford Design Group, Toronto* **Frame your focal point** with lawn, gravel or hedging. Stick with simple lines for the frame like a rectangle, square, circle or oval; too many curves or lines can be distracting.
*—Marius de Bruyn, Aesthetics+Design, Oakville, ON* Have gardening tips to share? Send us Your Ideas and the best tips will be included in a future issue of Gardening Life.
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