This is the fifth article in a series about the basic principles that should be considered when designing a landscape or garden.  The first installment, an overview of the five principles, can be found here.  To find out more about the principle of Unity and how it applies to landscape design, click here.  The third installment in the series, the principle of Balance, can be found here.  The fourth installment in the series which deals with the principle of Proportion can be found here.

The next principle of sound landscape design I would like to discuss is actually  two interconnected and complementary principles – rhythm and movement.  Movement in the garden can be either physical or visual.  Physical movement is the way visitors walk through your garden, actually moving from area to another.  Visual movement means that if a visitor stands stationary in just one spot, their eye should travel around your garden.   Both kinds of movement are greatly influenced and to some extent controlled by how the elements of your garden are actually arranged.

When we enter most gardens, we do not see the entire garden at one time.  The layout of the garden should entice us to meander further down the path, walk around the corner or travel to the far reaches of the garden to sit on that bench we can just barely see. 

Movement, both physical and visual, is encouraged in this garden

When I discussed the principle of Unity in landscape design, I talked about how repetition can be used to tie your garden together.  Repeating  the same plant, color, or form can also influence movement.  Design elements repeated at close intervals will speed movement through your garden while repetition at greater intervals will slow down the pace of movement and encourage your visitors to relax and take their time exploring and discovering your garden.  In this photo, you can see how the repetition of the benches encourages physical movement while at the same time the repetition of  both plants and colors encourages your eye to visually move along the length of the border.

Planters Lead You Visually and Physically To The Front Door

The design of paths and walkways have a big impact on how people travel on them.  A straight and wide walkway will typically encourage visitors to move more quickly than a narrow winding path made of stepping stones.  An urn or other focal point placed at the end of a long path will entice visitors to move through the garden along the path to see the urn up close.  And a path that gently curves around a hedge will also tempt the visitor to move through your garden to see what lies around the bend.

So remember, while there are no hard and fast rules to using repetition in design to facilitate movement, repetition is the primary way to get people to ‘move’ around your garden.  Experiment with different styles of repetition and see how it impacts your garden.

This is the fifth article in a series about the basic principles that should be considered when designing a landscape or garden.  The first installment, an overview of the five principles, can be found here.  To find out more about the principle of Unity and how it applies to landscape design, click here.  The third installment in the series, the principle of Balance, can be found here.  The fourth installment in the series which deals with the principle of Proportion can be found here.

The next principle of sound landscape design I would like to discuss is actually  two interconnected and complementary principles – rhythm and movement.  Movement in the garden can be either physical or visual.  Physical movement is the way visitors walk through your garden, actually moving from area to another.  Visual movement means that if a visitor stands stationary in just one spot, their eye should travel around your garden.   Both kinds of movement are greatly influenced and to some extent controlled by how the elements of your garden are actually arranged.

When we enter most gardens, we do not see the entire garden at one time.  The layout of the garden should entice us to meander further down the path, walk around the corner or travel to the far reaches of the garden to sit on that bench we can just barely see. 

Movement, both physical and visual, is encouraged in this garden

When I discussed the principle of Unity in landscape design, I talked about how repetition can be used to tie your garden together.  Repeating  the same plant, color, or form can also influence movement.  Design elements repeated at close intervals will speed movement through your garden while repetition at greater intervals will slow down the pace of movement and encourage your visitors to relax and take their time exploring and discovering your garden.  In this photo, you can see how the repetition of the benches encourages physical movement while at the same time the repetition of  both plants and colors encourages your eye to visually move along the length of the border.

Planters Lead You Visually and Physically To The Front Door

The design of paths and walkways have a big impact on how people travel on them.  A straight and wide walkway will typically encourage visitors to move more quickly than a narrow winding path made of stepping stones.  An urn or other focal point placed at the end of a long path will entice visitors to move through the garden along the path to see the urn up close.  And a path that gently curves around a hedge will also tempt the visitor to move through your garden to see what lies around the bend.

So remember, while there are no hard and fast rules to using repetition in design to facilitate movement, repetition is the primary way to get people to ‘move’ around your garden.  Experiment with different styles of repetition and see how it impacts your garden.