Emphasis in the Garden
Every garden needs a moment.
A place where your eyes stop, your shoulders drop, and you feel that spark of yes...this is it. That moment of recognition doesn’t happen by accident…it’s created through the design principle of EMPHASIS.
Emphasis gives your garden a focal point—a feature that stands out, holds attention, and helps ground the the space. It might be a sculpture at the end of a path, a stunning plant in full bloom, or a simple bench framed by arching branches. No matter how big or small, the emphasized element acts like an anchor. It says: look here first.
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WAYS TO CREATE EMPHASIS IN THE GARDEN
There’s no single way to create emphasis. What catches the eye in one garden may feel quiet in another. The key is intention. Whether you're working with plants, paths, structures, or light, emphasis comes from choosing what deserves to stand out.
Below are ten design strategies you can use to create emphasis in your garden. Each one includes a sketchbook prompt to help you explore the idea in your own space or design work.
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Use Contrast
One of the most effective ways to create emphasis is by using contrast. This might be a contrast in color—such as pairing deep purple foliage with bright green leaves (lights and darks)—or in texture, like setting a bold-leaved canna next to a cloud of fine-textured grasses. You can also use contrast in form or size. A tall, upright plant in a sea of low mounds is a great way to draw attention. Contrast helps the focal point pop from its surroundings and draws the viewer’s eye without needing to shout.
Sketch a plant combination that uses contrast in form or texture. Which one stands out most for you?
The garden above shows great color contrast with this chandelier in Des Moines, Iowa.
Frame It
Framing a focal point can give it a sense of importance and help create a moment of visual discovery. You can frame with hedges, trellises, arbors, or even the limbs of a tree arching overhead. When you create a visual bracket around an element—like a bench, sculpture, or stunning plant—it feels like a special feature, almost like a painting within the landscape.
Choose an object (a bench, pot, or tree) and sketch two different ways to frame it using plants or structures.
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Use Axes and Sight-lines
Emphasis often finds its power at the end of a clear line of sight. By placing a strong visual feature—whether a container, gate, sculpture, or beloved tree—at the terminus of a path or axis, you instantly give the space a sense of purpose and focus. These intentional alignments help organize the garden, guiding the eye naturally and creating a compelling destination that invites exploration.
On a plan view of your garden (or a blank rectangle), draw a main path and decide what feature will command attention at its end.
The garden on the left is located in Des Moines, Iowa, while the one on the right was in Rhode Island.
Play with Light
Light can transform a simple garden feature into a captivating focal point. Morning or evening sun highlights texture and form, while shadows add depth and drama. At night, uplighting can make plants or sculptures glow like stars. By placing your focal points where light interacts with them, you create moments of changing beauty throughout the day and seasons.
Sketch a garden feature and show how light hits it at different times. When does it stand out most?
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Create a Clearing
Sometimes the most powerful way to make something stand out is simply to give it room to shine. By clearing away surrounding plants or distractions, you allow a single element to become the star of the scene. This use of open or “negative” space lets the focal point breathe and feel important. The simplicity around it makes the feature feel intentional and naturally draws the eye.
Sketch a garden scene with one main focal point. Then, remove or simplify the surrounding elements. How does the open space change the way your focal point feels?
The garden above was designed by Third Spring in Seattle, Washington. It's beautifully oriented to capture the focal point of the bay beyond.
Capture an Extended View
Not all focal points live inside the garden. Sometimes, the most compelling emphasis is created by borrowing a view from beyond. Framing a distant tree, a sliver of sky, or a field through a gate draws the eye outward and invites the imagination to wander. This kind of long view expands the sense of space and gives the garden a sense of connection to the larger landscape. Even in small spaces, a carefully placed break in a hedge or a strategic sightline between structures can create a moment of pause and possibility.
Choose a garden space and sketch a long view you might capture through it—real or imagined. What could you frame, and how would it shift the focus of your design?
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Amplify with Repetition
Repetition guides the eye and builds rhythm in a garden design. When a repeated shape, color, or texture is suddenly interrupted by a bold or different element, that contrast creates a powerful focal point. The steady pattern draws attention, and the unexpected variation demands it.
Sketch a series of repeated shapes, colors, or plants. Then swap one out for a striking new element. How does this change the emphasis?
The garden above is located in Seattle, Washington (if someone knows the designer...please let me know!). The image on the left shows how a circle birdbath breaking from the rectangular stones draws attention, while the "basket" of stones on the right breaks the foliage repetition of the plants.
Use Scale + Proportion
Playing with scale is a fantastic way to create emphasis by surprising the eye. For example, a towering vertical plant rising above a carpet of low-growing groundcovers instantly draws attention. The dramatic difference in height makes the tall plant feel important and anchors the space. Similarly, an oversized urn in a small courtyard or a tiny sculpture placed in a vast lawn can create visual intrigue by breaking expectations. Scale shifts create focal points that feel deliberate and memorable.
Sketch a focal point at two different sizes. Imagine it as a towering vertical plant among low groundcovers, then as a smaller feature in a wide open space. How does changing the scale affect its presence?
Both gardens above are located in Buffalo, New York. The sphere on the left is larger than life and shows scale in a grand way, while the armillary sphere on the right is a daintier focal point that gently captures the eye.
Highlight a Moment in Time
Some of the most magical focal points in a garden are those that reveal themselves only at certain moments...reminders that gardens are living, breathing spaces shaped by the changing seasons. Early bulbs bravely pushing through the last snow herald the arrival of spring. In summer, a birdbath transforms into a lively gathering place, full of movement and life. Then, come fall, a brilliant tree ablaze with autumn color commands attention as a powerful focal point. These fleeting moments of emphasis keep your garden feeling fresh, vibrant, and full of stories.
Choose one feature in your garden—a plant, structure, or spot. Sketch how it changes or stands out in different seasons or moments. Which time feels most special to you?
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Add a Personal Touch
Some of the strongest focal points in a garden are those filled with personal meaning, such as a sculpture gifted by a loved one, a handmade gate with care, or a piece of found art that sparks memories. When placed thoughtfully, these personal elements become more than just objects; they tell stories, evoke emotions, and create a unique sense of place. They invite visitors to pause, connect, and feel the history and heart behind the garden’s design.
Think of an object that holds special meaning to you. Where would you place it in your garden to give it presence, tell its story, and deepen your connection to the space?
The garden on the left was designed by Young Gardens in Des Moines, Iowa, while the one on the right is just outside Charleston, South Carolina. Those yellow chairs and that fabulous yellow door are lovely examples of emphasis.
THE POWER OF A SINGLE MOMENT
Emphasis is more than just a design principle…it’s one way we bring intention and clarity to a garden. A well-placed focal point invites us to slow down, look closer, and maybe even truly feel something. Whether created through contrast, sight-lines, framing, or personal meaning, emphasis anchors our attention and gives the entire space a sense of rhythm and purpose.
As you sketch, dream, or stroll through your garden, ask yourself: Where do I want the eye to land? What deserves to be noticed?
The answer doesn’t need to be dramatic. It simply needs to feel true to your space and your story. Because, in the end, emphasis is about that one moment...the pause, the breath, the quiet yes...that brings the whole garden to life.
Extra Emphasis Inspiration
My Focal Point Pinterest Board
10x10 Garden Design Tips (100 tips...and yes, emphasis is one of them)
