In our somewhat-learned opinion, when attempting to create an “enchanting” landscape design, it is always done with the goal of sending a viewer to a different and unexpectedly emotional place. You can create enchantment in landscape design with an overall magical atmosphere and then inserting one or more powerful iconic elements that will imply and sustain the essence of enchantment. An objective to enchant means you intend to attract, delight or charm the observer. One of the best ways to do this is to tune into and appeal to someone’s faith, dreams and desires and then jump-start their imagination.

Admittedly, some adults have become so very jaded or cynical, there’s virtually nothing to be done to delight or certainly entrance them. But that just means that you can’t please everyone, and who doesn’t know that. But the designer must do their best to create enchantment in landscape architecture if only for children. If it is done well, it will usually appeal to the young in all of us. Disney is well know to do this in the theme gardens.

Another good example was the Harry Potter book series. Supposedly created for children, J.K. Rowling managed to enchant millions of supposedly jaded adults and her series became huge literary and cinematic blockbusters.

This proves the power of enchantment and demonstrates that an artist, author or even a landscape designer can also become a wizard. A designer can summon or evoke magic in their own realms. Study about the subject of enchantment, see how others have accomplished it and translate the process into your landscape designs. The designer may find that they will be the enchanted one and that will rub off into their landscape design efforts.

There are many enhancing elements that can be woven into our gardens and it can be exceptionally fun to conjure up what they are and determine how they can be incorporated into the landscape to delight everyone. Following are just a few of those elements for you to consider.

Reflecting materials: These elements reflect the viewer and their surroundings, thereby creating an effect that is not expected by them.

• Crystal balls.
• Large mirrors.
• Shiny metals.
• Colored pebbles and glass nuggets.
• Glass sculptures.

Lighting: Particularly for nighttime garden tours, a wide range of optical effects can be created to create a mystical or enchanting mood.

• Create a glow at end of earthen or vegetative tunnel.
• Laser lights to project hundreds of movable light dots on trees.
• Hologram projector to broadcast unearthly subjects.
• Overhead low voltage LED lights to create shadows throughout the garden area where desired.

Garden Structures: These can be actual buildings, mock-ups, suggestive constructions or topographical features throughout the enchanting garden.

• Winding pathways to unknown destinations.
• Spooky paths.
• Mildly difficult pathways through roots & rocks to create a sense of exploration.
• Weathered gates encased in hedgerows.
• Large boulders embedded into the ground that provide resting spots.

Atmosphere Creation: These creations can really set the mood by suggesting that the visitors are in an unusual place.

• Fog: Create fog by using a misting system to create a fantastic atmosphere at any time but particularly for night time explorations by the seekers of enchantment.
• Music to establish an ambiance throughout the garden.
• Boulders, gravel, logs and trees to provide dimension and contrast within the landscape.

Plantings: These are the essential pieces to the enchanting gardens, so it is best to avoid the ordinary in your palette. The plants or flowers should support the primary goal.

• Moss to cover logs and rocks.
• Fern, large for accents and small for ground covers
• Spanish moss to hang from tree limbs
• Unique & unusual plants such as:
  • Carnivorous plants
  • Bat flowers
  • Bromeliads, giant or unusual varieties.
  • Cactus of bizarre growth habits
  • Sausage tree
  • Flower masses to amaze rather than please.

Staging Props: As with movie or plays, props are needed to fulfill the overall goals of the enchanting garden design.

• Statues/Sculptures used as support or destination objects.
•  labyrinth
• A maze
• Plant/tree tunnel
• Waterfalls with Grottos (With perhaps a Gnome peering out).
• Old wood/& rope swing bridges.
• Signposts and provocative signage.
• Old weathered cauldron.
• Miniature fairy doorway (possibly with window) into base of hollowed out tree and lighted at night from within.
• Rabbit hole with legs & feet sticking out.

Good luck and have fun with all of your enchanting designs.

Photo Palette Offerings

(Obviously, only a small sampling of related garden elements can reasonably be displayed, but the viewer should be able to use these as a springboard to develop their own design palette.)