Focal point
By: Garden Gate staff
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Sharpen the focus
The garden at left is lovely, but a focal point would make it even more memorable. That’s because a focal point stands out while giving your eye somewhere to rest, too. Otherwise, guests might gaze at the whole garden at once, without ever really knowing exactly where to look.
Just click ahead to learn all about using focal points and see how they transformed this garden!
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Down in front
This bright orange birdbath brings your eye to the front of the border. You can tuck a smaller ornament like this one behind a few smaller plants to hide its base and make it seem like part of the garden, not an afterthought. Putting a birdbath here makes it easy to clean and refill, too.
The front of the border is also the perfect place to showcase a prized gazing globe, a small statue or even a beautiful piece of driftwood.
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Stand up straight
This obelisk pulls your eye farther into the garden than the small birdbath did, but choose one or the other — not both. You only want one focal point per garden area.
If you want to use a vertical focal point like this, take a little care with the height. A taller obelisk would take your eye up over the top of the fence instead of keeping it in the garden where you want the attention. That’s especially important to keep in mind if you’re using a vertical accent plant — be sure it won’t grow too tall for the space in a couple of years.
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