We all have creativity inside us. Unleashing it takes courage and a willingness to let go of the fear that comes along with it.
Accessorizing your garden can be creative and fun. Choosing decorations that reflect your personality and taste can enhance the effect you’re trying to create. Consider using unconventional materials to make your garden stand out from the rest.
Color
As any art student knows, color is one of the most powerful tools for creating something that stands out. That’s why understanding how colors interact with each other and how they can be used to evoke certain feelings and moods in the garden is important for any gardener. But, it’s not just about using color to create a wow factor in the garden, it’s also about how the colors work within your overall landscape design.
The best place to start when choosing a garden color scheme is by choosing the dominant or primary color that you want to use in the garden. From there you can begin to hone in on a color palette. Some gardeners prefer to stick with a single color for their gardens while others like to incorporate contrasting colors into the design. If you are new to working with color, it’s often easiest to start out with a warm or cool scheme. Warm colors include shades of red, orange, yellow and gold while cooler colors are based on blues and purples.
Once you have decided on your main color, you can start to play with the various tints and shades of that hue in the garden. You can also play with contrasting colors by placing plants that are opposite each other on the color wheel. This will add visual interest to your garden but will also help the different parts of the landscape to stand out.
Remember that even though a garden is an art form, it is still a functional landscape and the needs of the space should always be considered first. This means ensuring that there are sufficient planting areas for the plants you need and that the site is able to meet the desired uses of the garden.
Another way to use color in the garden is by incorporating it into garden elements such as fences, sheds, gates, walkways and walls. Adding these objects in bright colors can draw attention away from the plants and create visual confusion, but they can also be a great accent to your garden if they are in a shade that is darker than the plants themselves.
Form
While it is possible to design a garden without any formal training, the functional requirements of a garden must be considered and fulfilled. A well-designed garden serves a variety of purposes such as recreation and entertainment, food production, water management, storage, utility, and aesthetics. It is the ability of a designer to integrate and combine these diverse elements, lines, shapes, colors and textures into a harmonious whole that defines garden artistry. If you are interested in having a greenhouse, you should look into the Halls greenhouse to learn the basics of building greenhouses.
Form is the dominant visual element that spatially organizes and determines a style of a garden. It can be found in both hardscape and plants. It can also be created by a combination of a theme and the underlying principles of balance, unity, proportion, contrast and texture.
The use of a dominant form provides a focal point that draws the eye, guides the eye around the garden, and can be used to highlight a specific planting or structure in the landscape. A focal point may be a plant, structure, sculpture or even a work of art placed within the garden. Dominance and emphasis are usually created through the use of contrast in size, color, texture or form.
Garden designers use scale and proportion to ensure all features of the design are in harmony with one another. This includes the size of both plants and structures as well as how they relate to each other and surrounding architecture. It is important to create a sense of interconnection in a garden by linking different elements and features using themes, lines, repetition and gradation.
Repetition and gradation can create a rhythm in a garden by repeating a shape or form, combining or layering plants of varying heights, or using a gradual change of size or texture in a planting. For example, a grass garden can be unified through the use of repetition of a single form such as squares, circles and polygons or with a gradation of heights of the same species of grass from small to medium to large.
Texture
The textures of plants, hardscape materials and water play a significant role in the design of a garden. These elements can be used to create patterns that guide the eye as well as create contrast. A mix of bold and fine texture, smooth and rough, can be very attractive. Repetition of shape and form also contributes to the design, as does the use of color.
Texture is an important element in a garden because it helps to create balance. Too many fine textures can look jumbled together, but mixing a few medium or coarse textured plants with the fine ones can add interest.
A garden should be a place where visitors are encouraged to touch as well as look. The velvety leaves of a Stachys or the satin bark of white birch are two examples of textures that attract the touch as well as the eye.
In addition, a garden should be a place where the visual experience is continually changing. Static structural elements like rock outcroppings or garden buildings are best viewed from different perspectives throughout the day and at different times of year to see how they change in appearance. The weather; wind, sun and shade, as well as light and color all affect how the garden is perceived.
Using art techniques in the garden can be a fun and educational activity for youth, as long as adults are present to help them understand the processes involved. For example, when creating a garden that will be functional as an art garden, it is important to plan and plant the right plants that produce the art materials that are needed for projects. This includes flowers and fruits that provide dyes for textiles, grasses that produce yarn for weaving or paper making and other natural resources that can be used in a variety of ways by youth. These materials should be included in the initial garden plans and planted close to each other for ease of access. Once the garden is growing, the group should review and discuss potential projects. The final plan should reflect the needs of the group and be implemented by a member of the adult staff.
Focal Points
Focal points are those elements that stand out from the rest of your design or artwork. There are many devices that artists use to emphasize focal points in their work, including color, contrast, and size. Focal points can also be used in the garden to create an emphasis in a particular area or space.
One of the easiest ways to create a focal point is through contrast. Contrast refers to difference, and any element that stands out from the rest of your garden can become a focal point. This is particularly true if that element is a striking color or has a dramatic texture. For example, a stop sign painted in bright red will stand out more than a drab gray one.
You can also draw the eye to a focal point through the size of an object or the amount of light it receives. A large or dark element can be a powerful focal point, and you can even make the size of an object appear smaller by using negative space or shadows. Another way to create a focal point is through the repetition of a certain shape. This can be done by repeating the shape of a plant or by using a similar object such as a mirror or door.
Focal points can also be created through a combination of these techniques. For example, if you have a flowering tree that is particularly attractive in its blossoms or leaves, this could serve as a focal point for your garden. A mirror can also create a focal point by drawing the eye to itself through its reflection.
Lastly, you can use art to create focal points in your garden. This can be anything from painting to sculpture to repurposed household items. The key is that it draws the eye and communicates a feeling such as adventure, peace or joy to your visitors.
A garden can have multiple focal points, but each must be able to communicate for itself and move the viewer’s eyes around. Creating an artistic garden requires that you think outside of the box and challenge yourself to be creative. With a little effort, you can be sure that your visitors will enjoy their time in your garden.