Franchesca Watson on How Garden Axes Create Lasting Impact

Landscape designer Franchesca Watson reveals how deliberate alignment in a garden can create harmony, depth and focus — one of the oldest, simplest and most enduring of garden design tools

One of the simplest and most effective ways to create visual impact in a garden is through the use of a formal axis. The imposition of a clear line of sight onto the arrangement of the garden immediately brings a sense of drama and order. It’s a device that has been employed for millennia — from Mughal courtyards to European palace gardens — and one that continues to resonate in contemporary landscapes.

While the axis is formal, planting around it need not be. In fact, the contrast between a strong visual line and looser planting can be highly effective. A grassy meadow, an indigenous fynbos selection or even lush tropical foliage can all feel coherent when organised around a well-placed sightline.

The axis gives focus and direction; it tends to frame and elevate everything around it. The focal point at either end of the axis is key. It could be a sculpture, a single tree, leading to a spectacular framed view or pergola. Pools reflect the sky, clouds and overhead trees doubling the effect. A flowing rill or stream adds sound, life and subtle movement. There’s nothing quite like the way a rill draws you in, inviting both visual and physical exploration.

In larger gardens, I often use more than one axis, dividing the space into segments. Where these axes intersect, I like to mark the moment — with a change in material. An axis is usually established between two carefully chosen points — its start and its end — both of which become focal moments in the experience of a garden.

Often, this line runs parallel or at right angles to a key part of the architecture: a front door, a seating terrace or a view from the house. It becomes the backbone of the design, the structure upon which all other elements (paths, plantings, water, sculpture) are arranged. a distant mountain or a simple gate. It could be a stone bench inviting pause,or a framed glimpse of the ocean through clipped hedges. The land along the axis doesn’t need to be flat — on the contrary, a gentle slope or undulating lawn can add to the theatre of it. It might be a rill that culminates in a pretty seating area, or a long driveway with a beautiful building on arrival.

Water elements are particularly powerful axes. Think long, narrow pools or ponds underfoot or a sculptural feature. These points of confluence are not just moments of symmetry but also of pause and punctuation. Amid constant distraction, the garden can be a place of direction and stillness, shaped by lines that both guide and ground us — a quiet discipline that allows the rest of the garden to sing.

For questions or to view Watson Pellacini’s work, visit studio@watsonpellacini.com