Lesson 2: Planning Your Garden
Other "Hardscape" Architectural Features
Architectural elements add interest, texture and a strong sense of structure to a garden. These can be as simple as a few well-placed stones or as complex as a gazebo, shed or statuary. Arbors and pergolas are architectural features that add a vertical interest. A gazing ball, or a whimsical piece of garden art can create a sense of humor in an otherwise formal setting.
An old shed can be renovated, painted a deep green or stained a weathered gray, and decorated with antique garden tools. This lends a sense of enchantment to a garden, and yet can serve a real purpose as a potting shed and a place to store seeds, tools and other equipment.
When choosing your architectural elements, keep a sense of scale in mind. A huge statue or an oversized gazebo will dominate a very small garden, overshadowing any plantings completely. Scale your choices to the size of your garden. A few well chosen rocks or a small arbor will create depth and lead the eye upward.
Placement of these features is the key to success in creating a sense of balance. Larger elements should be placed at the rear of the garden to draw the eye outward, enhancing the sense of space. If you have a large lot you can scatter elements throughout the garden so that visitors can wander and happen on a piece of interest.
I highly recommend researching books on garden design and looking at photographs of different gardens. This will give you a better sense of what will work for you and what won’t.
