Circles in the Landscape

“…the power of the world works in circles, and everything tries to be round…”  - Black Elk

Circles contain and concentrate outdoor space.

 This may sound like designer 'mumbo jumbo' but the technique of placing circular inlays in the ground plane has been used for millennia. Many sacred buildings such as temples, churches and mosques have circular shapes or at least have circles of  tile or stone in their floors.

Native Americans, such as the Wampanoags of the Northeast, used the powerful circle shape in their council meetings. They would sit in a circle, in an outdoor 'council ring', and discuss important matters. They believed the circular shape aided democratic deliberations. The large round room beneath the rotunda of many government Capitols echoes this idea.

So how do you incorporate a circle in your garden? There are many ways ...here are a few ideas....

This above idea is from Adam Frost's excellent website. He is a British garden designer...check him out.

Overlapping plant beds in circular shapes...interesting...

(Johnsen Landscapes & Pools)

Here my client placed a beautiful tiled table to sit within the curved freestanding wall we built around her new terrace...It works beautifully!

This is from the Labyrinth Company..cut fieldstone is pieced together in a labyrinth layout...absolutely entrancing

(Johnsen Landscapes & Pools)

This is a circular spa my firm designed and built for a wonderful client...The circular shapes invites camaraderie and looks beautiful to boot!