The fence in the photo above didn't need to create such an illusion. The photo above was snapped in an area renowned for its appealing countryside, so there need be no question here of creating an illusion. But no matter how beautiful your natural setting, it is possible for human skill to improve upon it. That is the premise of landscape design. Incidentally, it is also the premise of a fascinating story by the great Edgar Allan Poe, entitled, "The Domain of Arnheim."
These homeowners have, indeed, improved upon their lovely natural setting. Their landscape design has combined the rugged beauty of stone walls with the elegance brought to their wood picket fence by the use of finials. Wood and stone complement a country setting so well that sometimes it's hard to choose between them, when selecting materials. Here the landscape design obviated this difficult choice simply by using both!
In viewing photos of fences, we are indirectly touching upon a basic element of landscape design: namely, the element of "line." In the next landscape design picture we'll take a closer look at this concept.
