Landscaping and garden design is a fine art indeed, balancing functional spaces with natural beauty, so you can enjoy time outside in various ways… and, where garden layout is concerned, focal points are an essential factor to consider.
But what to use as a focal point in the garden? Here are just a few suggestions to point you in the right direction.
1. A cosy nook
Positioning a quiet and cosy seating nook towards the bottom of the garden is a fantastic way to draw the eye through the space, while simultaneously providing you and guests with an exciting destination to land upon.
Consider placing your seating so it can be seen from different angles around the garden or from inside the house, so it calls to you, asking you to come and pull up a pew!
2. Garden screens & panels
You have little control over what your neighbour chooses to do with their property and if you find that you’ve got an unwanted view of an unattractive decking area or an ugly fence, you don’t have to put up with it. Turn it into a focal point!
This can be achieved relatively easily by using garden screens and panels, positioned strategically to hide anything unsightly. And, even better, they come in a wide range of different styles – and you could even use them as trellises for some lovely vertical planting.
3. Borrow views
Now, how workable this particular idea is will depend on where you live and the local environment, but if you’re lucky enough to have a beautiful view that’s not part of your actual garden, why not take full advantage of this fact and use it to create a truly unique focal point?
Strategic use of a moon gate, for example, can help extend your views – and all you have to do is place it in an appropriate part of the garden!