Do you find your garden too small, too flat, too exposed? What if the solution lay not in square metres, but inthe way to structure the space ?
A good garden project is based on a golden rule of landscape architecture:to work with perspectives, light, and lines of sight.This is how onevisually enlarges a space, creates pleasant living areas, andgives depth and rhythmto the garden. au jardin.
In this article, discover how a landscape architect thinks about theviews, the framing, the areas of shadow and light, to transform an ordinary garden intoa place of contemplation and harmonious circulation..
1. Framing views to give meaning
Opening certain perspectives…
- By leaving awindow onto a distant tree, a bell tower, a horizon, onecreates a visual focal pointthat gives depth to the garden.
- This allows one tosymbolically “push back” the boundaries of the land.
…and to mask others.
- Awell-placed hedge, agreen wall, or alight structurecanerase a direct view, a neighbouring garage, or a less aesthetic corner of the garden.
- Thisfocuses the gazeon what we want to highlight.
💡 The garden thus becomes a theatre where we choose what to show — and what to hide.
2. Composing with natural light
Observing the rhythms of the sun
- Where do the sun's rays rise and set in your garden?
- At what times is your terrace in the shade?
- Where does the morning light enter in winter?
- Which areas remain bathed in light at the end of the day?
Orienting uses according to the light
- Abreakfast nookto the east.
- Adrinks areato the west.
- Someshade plantingsunder an existing tree.
- Openareasto capture light in winter.
💡 Landscape architecture not only composes with space, but also with time and light.
3. Partitioning to better structure… and enlarge
The effect of 'garden rooms'
- Creatingzones(rest, vegetable garden, play, contemplation…) helps toavoid monotony.
- Each zone can haveits own atmosphere, while remaining connected to the others.
Creating soft transitions
- Light hedges, tall grasses, plant screensallow you tofilterthe view rather than block it.
- Thissuggests without enclosing.
💡 A well-structured garden does not reveal everything at once: it unfolds, step by step.
4. The landscape architect's tools for playing with views
- Lines of flight: create a path or a border thatguides the eye towards a focal point.
- Architectural framing: porticos, plant arches, cut-outs in hedges.
- Working in levels: create aslight elevation or a moundto vary the angles of view.
- Choice of heightsof vegetation to draw "walls" and "ceilings" of plants.
5. A living, sensitive and intelligent project
Working with views, light, and structure is not just a matter of decoration:
it isa way to make the garden lively, habitable, and emotionally rich.
This allows for:
- creating a sense of space, even in a small gardento,
- live outdoors at different times of the dayto,
- compose with seasonality and biodiversityto,
- find calmin an often dense environment.Conclusion
Landscape architecture is not just about choosing plants: it is
L’architecture paysagère, ce n’est pas seulement choisir des plantes : c’est composing a space as a living work of art.
Working on perspectives, light, and framing, is to give a soul to the garden and make it apoetic and intelligent extension of your home.