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Building a garden at home is a fun way to add more life to your landscape; and can be done whether you have a large grassy area or you live in a condo and want to bring some green to your concrete patio. Gardens are not only good for the environment; but they have been proven to ease stress and provide a nice distraction from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Here, we’ll discuss how to choose a focal point for your garden.
You may wonder, is it really important to have a focal point? The answer is yes. Gardens with one piece that draws attention are more lively; more put together. A focal point gives the eye someplace beautiful to land. Without one, your eyes will sweep over your garden, not knowing exactly where to look. Adding a focal point pulls the entire landscaped area together and allows you to take in the whole of it with more ease and appreciation. That said, adding a focal point to a garden in no way shape or form takes away from the rest of the plants in the area.
Smaller gardens may be slightly more challenging in choosing a focal point; but it is still a necessary requirement. You may still choose a tree placed in a large pot at the edge of your garden, or even a water fountain situated right in the middle of a sea of colorful flowers and foliage. This is the fun in planning a garden of any size; choosing the distinctive elements that speak to your senses. Some people love the idea of a water fountain, with its trickling, gurgling sounds. Others are more prone to appreciating live plants and want the focal point of their garden to be alive with sweeping branches or colorful fruit. On that note, miniature lemon trees make incredible focal points in any garden.
To get your creative juices flowing, consider the types of things that make good focal points in a garden. Choices include:
While you don’t have to build your entire garden around your specific focal point, you should definitely consider what seems fitting before you begin to choose plants and accessories. Take into consideration the overall feel you want your garden to have. Are you drawn to a true Zen sanctuary? The a water fountain with an Asian flare makes the ideal focal point, surrounded by Japanese Maple or perhaps even a few Dogwood. When you know the ambience you wish to create, you can better choose the most suitable items to add to your garden, from the focal point to the very last shrub.
Lastly, when planting your garden, understand that a focal point does not have to lie dead center. For a more attractive and inviting look, it’s best to place your focal point a bit off center or even out towards one corner. Put your focal point where you think you’d best like it, and then step back and observe. If it feels right, you’ve succeeded!
