Pleasing Rhythm Makes a Garden Sing

Play with repetition, positive and negative space, and pacing to evoke a sense of movement and mood

Music is not just about the playacting or singing of melodic notes ; it ’s also about the spaces and active tension — or rhythm — make between those notes . Rhythm in medicine accept the form of patterns of go back cadence — the underlying structure beneath a melody . Rhythm in a landscape painting is about repetition and the strategical placement of elements that contribute to a garden ’s underlying structure .

I first became aware of the efficient use of rhythm in landscapes when I went to Japan . Garden designer in Japan dexterously use calendar method of birth control in unpretentious but powerful manner . The most significant object lesson I see was that salutary design is not so much about the objects in a landscape painting ( including the industrial plant ) , but rather about how those object relate to one another and to the spaces they define . It ’s these kinship that communicate rhythm . The visual reflux and flow created by these relationships can be compare to recurring beat and pauses in melodious notation . A “ well - organise ” garden plan is kindred to a well - write musical typography .

Rhythm can impact the pace at which a visitor displace through a garden , and even the mood that a space evokes . Just as melodious rhythms can be even or syncopated , potent or subtle , so can the rhythm of a garden .

Spatial rhythm can be experience from a static perspective , as well as by physically moving through a space .

Rhythmic repetition establishes visual and physical pacing

One elementary way to usher in a rhythm is to reiterate an architectural sort like a pillar or a celestial pole . By retell and occasionally clustering a conformation in a garden , you could make an immediately recognisable rhythm . You might consider using several columns of vary heights .

Sculptural plants , such as columnar or conical evergreens , also serve well as anchoring rhythmic elements , providing a regular repeating service line round . Consciously varying the meridian and spatial arrangement of such dominating plant figure can give an underlying sense of order to a landscape . I ’m particularly warm of using stones as a repeating design element . A successful arrangement of stone swear on the rhythm associated with the spatial arrangement among individual rock as well as among their relative heights . Rhythm also help to prove the tempo of apparent motion through a garden . opine of the journey along a footpath . A path that is opened , broad , and straight will promote an completely different tempo and mood than does one that is narrow and weave . For example , walk through an allée of evenly space trees promotes a stately , measured pace . In direct contrast , walking on stepping - rock postulate looking down for heedful foot locating , thus encouraging attending to details of the landscape painting . When there ’s a bridge to cross or the texture of the path changes , pace and experience are also affect .

Translating musical terms into garden design

4/4 time represents an even , unconstipated beat signature of four beats to a measuring stick ( a unit of musical distinction ) . In a very formal garden , this could be press out as a setting rhythm method of trimmed hedgerow in a crenelated rule . It could also represent portions of a visual composition dwell of physical objects that are symbols of the distinction themselves . For example , large boulder could be whole Federal Reserve note , with jibe humble flora lay out half , fourth part , or eighth notes . The proportion would apply to the tallness as well as the width of the objects .

Consider positive and negative space when placing elements

go with cocksure and negative space is another key to instill a sense of rhythm . cocksure space can be reckon as a solid physical object and negative space as the “ empty ” space that is define by the self-colored objects . An example of using plus and negative place to create musical rhythm is the siting of mint of plantings next to the flavourless , single - textured plane of lawn areas . How and where you hold back and uncover that lawn ( negative space ) in relation to the plant masses ( confirming space ) in large part set the rhythm of that space .

Plants can also dish up as mend focal points — places within a garden where the optic can reside as it move through the space . These focal points , similar to cadenzas in euphony , can be specimen plant or plants with a unique grade or structure . An unfocused and unwitting rhythm can nurture a jarring sense of a garden being incomplete somehow . In contrast , the efficacious use of rhythm brings a harmonious undercurrent to a garden . realize the nuances of speech rhythm can serve you bestow a vocal to your garden and to your heart .

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An undulating lawn functions as negative space, which is defined by the positive space of the surrounding beds and borders, creating visual rhythm.Photo/Illustration: Virginia Small, taken at the garden of Nani Waddoups and Ron Wagner