Mystery in the Garden

Were you ever compelled to walk down a path to see where it led or go through a beautiful gate to see what was on the other side? These are magical tricks to pique your curiosity and coerce you to walk through a garden. A skilled designer can use mystery to lead a visitor through a landscape crafting a unique experience, while engaging their sense of adventure.

Paths are a fabulous way to guide a sense of mystery. They can pique your curiosity by leading you to an unknown destination, guide you to an intriguing focal point, or shift your experience by taking you from one garden room to the next by passing through thresholds. Below is a collection of images showcasing mystery in the garden.

Try some of these techniques to instill mystery into your garden:

UNKNOWN DESTINATION | Use a path to lead someone into the unknown. When the destination can't be seen, it draws the visitor into explorer mode.  We can't help but wonder where it leads.

FOCAL POINTS | Focal points can intensify curiosity, especially if set far enough away to encourage investigation. I love when I can see a bright spot of color or interesting form ahead, but can't quite figure it out. I'm drawn in to learn more.

THRESHOLDS | These are a transition from one garden space to another, such as gates, stairways, and arbors. Experiencing a threshold is often special in itself, but passing through to see what's on the other side is even more spectacular.

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious - Albert Einstein