Scale & perspective in landscape design
Most Japanese gardens are grown in relatively small areas, so scale and perspective are two of the main landscape design techniques used to create the illusion of size, space and distance.
To help create this illusion, false perspectives may be realized by the following means:
- Plant gradually smaller trees as the distance from the house or other viewing point increases.
- Larger rock groups may occupy the foreground; smaller ones in the distance.
- The nearer island in the lake may be larger than the one slightly more distant. It will normally also have larger vegetation on it than the farther island (Choose larger varieties of plants for the near island. Smaller growing plants for the more distant one.)
- Paths and bridges are scaled to minimum usable dimensions, and lanterns and pagodas are never out of proportion to their surroundings.
The garden can also be made to appear vaster by the clever use of trees and shrubs that give an appearance of maturity and age, even though they are of moderate, or even smaller size. Such trees and shrubs are kinds that grow naturally this way, or can be induced to do so by pruning and/or the art of bonsai. Bonsai Boy
has great plants for a very reasonable price.
By locating brighter-colored plants toward the foreground and those of less intensity farther away, the feeling of distance is also enhanced. This is true, too, when large, boldly-leaved plants are restricted to near-to-the-viewer locations and the background planting is of finer-textured foliage.
Spaciousness is further suggested by using the horizontal lines of lakeshores, low roofs and surfaces of still water, as well as stretches of carefully tended sand or gravel.
So to sum it up in the words of Grover, a character on the children's show Sesame Street, it all boils down to:
