Focal Points; Garden Art + Foliage

pears

Whether your style is whimsical, elegant, traditional or contemporary you can find a unique art piece for your garden that let's your friends and family know that this is your garden. However it is the relationship between the art and the garden that really makes or breaks it. There has to be a reason for that particular piece of art to be placed in that specific location. Both the art and the garden should be enhanced by the association and using foliage is one of the easiest ways to accomplish this.

The Snuggle Factor

The pears above are nestled into the leafy 'arms' of ferns, Heuchera and moss. Over time the moss has started to wrap itself around the over-sized fruit such that the lines are blurred between art and garden. The bold color catches our attention but rather than seeming incongruous in this subdued leafy setting it is highlighted by the contrasting textures and shades of green. (From the garden of Tina Dixon, WA)

Hide and Seek

IMG_7454These funky fish (found lurking in the garden of Mary Palmer, Snohomish, WA) are swimming through a golden 'seaweed'. Depending on the breeze sometimes you see them – sometimes you don't. Art doesn't have to be completely visible to be a focal point. Sometimes a little subtlety is a good thing. This isn't the sort of focal point that will knock your socks off 1oo yards away but rather a 'garden moment' waiting to be discovered as you stroll through the space.

Art Mimicking Foliage

IMG_6236

Giant concrete Gunnera leaves have become increasingly popular since iconic artists George and David Lewis started creating them. I've seen these in many tints of color and in many settings but what I loved most about the composition above was how natural it looked within its environment.

The sheer size of the leaf grabs our attention and the texture is so realistic that I challenge anyone to walk past without at least being tempted to reach out and touch it!

Within this vignette is a secondary art piece; a small concrete pillar finished in such a way as to suggest antiquity but in reality quite new. Emerging from a cluster of hosta and topped with soft grass this column adds to the drama while again benefiting from the backdrop of foliage to give it a sense of presence.

Winter Vignette

IMG_1697

Even in winter foliage can play a vital part in transforming your focal point into a vignette. Notice how in the photograph above (Taken at the Denver Botanical Garden) the bleached grasses frame the imposing sculpture. The art is impressive enough to stand alone but the grasses enhance it. Their soft, rustling blades contrasts with the stark, gold granite – especially poignant on a bitingly cold winter day.

Placing art into a garden does not automatically create a fabulous focal point. Placing it in such away that it relates to its surroundings and then adding either a frame or backdrop of foliage takes a focal point and transforms it into a vignette.

(This is part two in a four part series on focal points. Missed Part 1? Find it again here)

For more ideas on focal points sign up for my design class on Craftsy and save up to 50%; Gorgeous Garden Design; Foliage & Focal Points. 

Read my reviews, interact with other students (several thousand at the last count), ask questions and enjoy the class whenever you choose and as often as you want to.

Email Newsletter icon, E-mail Newsletter icon, Email List icon, E-mail List icon
SUBSCRIBE