Sun cover 050808. Ryan lely/Sonoma Valley Sun
In landscape design, focal points are used to draw the eye to a central area, a special man-made feature or a spectacular plant.
Whether naturally occurring or consciously placed in strategic locations, focal points give the garden a more dramatic, orderly look. Larger gardens may need several of them, while modest gardens may require only one.
“Focal points in the landscape can be as simple as one spectacular plant, like a Japanese maple, or group of plants placed among others in the design,” said Noah Tengwell, who has been designing landscapes all over Sonoma County for 16 years. “Adding taller specimen plants to a group of smaller plants can create a very natural-looking focal point in flowerbeds. The taller plants will stand out, drawing the eye to themselves.”
Statuary has been used in formal gardens as a focal point for centuries. A stunning pair of white Greek revival statues available at Sonoma Mission Gardens will make for a dramatic garden entrance. Venere is the nude, but modestly draped, female figure poised on a flower adorned rectangular pedestal that also serves as a planter. The muscular male version, Braco, feasts on and is surrounded by bunches of grapes. They cost $495 apiece.
For an Asian garden, Sonoma Mission Gardens carries a Standing Hoi Toi ($119), a grinning, big-bellied deity with chubby arms outstretched towards the heavens. The Chinese Wiseman ($169) stands four feet tall and balances on a firm square pedestal as he wrestles with a threatening dragon. For a Gothic accent, go with the Benedict Gargoyle ($469). The imposing winged creature is replete with threatening claws, giant Dr. Spock ears and devilish horns.
Gurgling fountains can pull double duty as focal points and sound reducers. The grand Cathedral Fountain ($929) is appropriate for an Italian garden. An impressive six feet tall, it features two wide tiers, with four bowls on each level that are filled by numerous copper spouts. A less formal garden would by best highlighted by a nod from architect Frank Lloyd Wright. His designs inspired the Prairie Fountain ($799). The brown metal cast stands nearly five feet tall and has water streaming down from a wide bowl.
If you’re looking for the real thing, Danscapes Landscaping Company in Glen Ellen will design, construct and maintain a waterfall that will act as a spectacular focal point in a natural yard landscape. Owner Dan Sooter likes to work with existing rocks and selects plants he knows will thrive around the waterfalls. He can build a waterfall in a space as small as 12 feet square, with prices starting at $6,000.
“Pondless waterfalls require much less maintenance then free standing ponds, use less energy because they do not need to be on all the time and I use a natural gravel bog instead of a costly filter,” said Sooter. “There is no standing water, so bugs aren’t a problem, and that invasive string algae that often ruins pond pumps doesn’t form because the water is in motion.”
Sooter said that his customers often use the waterfalls to mute noise; some of them have said they feel that having water moving in their backyards improves their quality of life. He has designed rivers up to 100 feet for dozens of satisfied customers. The closed, re-circulating system means very little water is lost. The waterfalls are energy-efficient because they can be turned off when not in use.
Some Sonoma Valley homeowners avail themselves of what is known as “borrowed scenery.” Having a backdrop of a distant mountain range, stream or meadow offers a perfect (and free) opportunity to create an outstanding focal point. Moreover, this technique – which is said to have originated in Japan – also helps a private landscape blend in with its natural surroundings. If you are lucky enough to have a great view, use it, frame it and build your landscape around it.
Danscapes Landscaping Company
P. O. Box 1208, Glen Ellen
707.799.0457;
www.danscape.net.
Noah Tengwell Landscaping
8109 Maple Ave., Forestville
707.887.2229.
Sonoma Mission Gardens
851 Craig Ave., Sonoma
707.938.5775
www.sonomamissiongardens.com.
Hours: Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Closed Tues.
