Focusing on sightlines

I've touched on the idea of sightlines in past posts, but this element of landscape design is so important that I'm revisiting the topic. So what are sightlines? As the word sight suggests, it's all about what you see when you sit in your outdoor spaces.

Wikipedia defines sightlines as follows: "A visual axis...a normally unobstructed line of sight between an intended observer and a stage, arena or monument. Sightlines are a particularly important consideration in...road junction layout and urban planning. In cities such as London, construction within sightlines is restricted to protect the key views of famous landmarks."

This last part is key because poor planning can lead to obstruction of plantings and other attractive outdoor features in your garden. That's why it's vital to know how tall and wide particular plants will grow; whether your cultivars and varieties will behave themselves or spread wildly, blocking paths, arbors and views; and where to place hard-scaping features--such as planters, benches, sheds and fountains--so they enhance rather than detract from your painstakingly planned landscape.

The photo, above, illustrates how thinking about sightlines and planning carefully can yield an effect that's easy on the eyes. A screened porch, right, has an iris-lined walkway which leads around a perennial bed onto a stone patio. Placed just beyond the patio--and cleverly framed by an arbor--is a little greenhouse which echoes the shape and color of the main house. The effect is a balance of lush greenery and hard-scaped features.

In my opinion, no one historically understands sightlines like those in Asian cultures. More than 3,000 years ago, the Chinese developed lattice patterns on their windows to "frame" nature. The idea was to capture individual aspects of it in their indoor and outdoor areas, via clever wooden lattice panels that strictly prohibited views when a person stood in one spot. In order to switch up the scene, the observer had to take a step in a different direction--forcing a slightly altered view.

In this subtle way, perceptions are changed; nature is looked upon uniquely, depending on where you stand. It's a wonderful study in nuance amid the natural world, and a great way to learn about the importance of focusing on small, often-overlooked areas of the garden that add intrinsic value.

Check out sites exploring Asian landscaping. I like: www.diynetwork.com/how-to/topics/asian  The information provided will spur you to look at your own yard a little differently.