Ideally, landscape design is about creating focal points in gardens and yards. The hardscape and plant materials used are carefully selected and implemented in a way that takes visitors on a visual journey.
A meandering path may lead to a quiet seating area or a water feature. Perhaps an arbor or pergola frames a carefully placed piece of garden art or sculpture. Focal points are often the difference between an average backyard and one that is remarkable.
Tips for Creating Focal Points in Gardens and Yards
The following tips can help you to think about how and where your Colorado landscape can benefit from a thoughtful focal point or two. As always, Lifescape is always here to assist you with your outdoor design conundrums.
Look for – and eliminate – competition. Evaluate your current landscaping to see if there is any competition in your various plant beds. You might find that a little pruning and/or transplanting is required to help your feature plants truly shine. Look for a balance between complementary colors (those that are opposite one another on the color wheel) and contrasting hues, which will also add visual interest.
Optimize your corners. What’s lurking in the corners of your yard spaces? You may find the answer is a big, fat nothing – or nothing worth speaking of, anyway. The corner is a perfect spot to add an outdoor sculpture by a local artist, from which you can compose the rest of the plant bed. They are ideal for placing small outbuildings or sheds that are painted attractively. Corners also make a wonderful niche for a seating area and perhaps an outdoor fire pit or water feature.
Plant smaller ornamental trees. Ornamental trees that do well in our Rocky Mountain climate create attractive focal points. A Wasatch maple (Acer grandidentatum) does well in drier soil while a Rocky Mountain Birch (Betula occidentalis) thrives in moist soils, perhaps the perfect host for your shade garden.
Is your landscape beginning to feel more like a hodgepodge than a well-planned living canvas? Contact Lifescape Colorado and we’ll help to highlight its natural focal points.
