How to Design a Garden Trompe Voeil
A trompe Voeil is a painting or decoration that creates an illusion, tricking the viewer into seeing something that is not really there. With a bit of imagination and ingenuity, it is possible for the gardener to create any number of original, deceptive devices using plants, paintings and sculpture.
As practical features, they are mainly employed in small gardens to give the impression of space, so that the garden seems bigger than it really is. However, they can be used in any garden in a jocular way to create an amusing and witty trick of the eye.
Classic trompe I’oeils are created by painting pictures that look three-dimensional. It is possible to use this technique in a small garden by painting windows on a wall that reveal an apparently pastoral vista; this will be especially effective in a town garden where the painted scene will contrast with the true urban surroundings. Similarly, doors or gateways can be painted; a half-open gate with a glimpse of what lies beyond will deceive the observer into thinking the garden has another part to it.
Another example of trompe Voeil is the careful positioning of a large mirror on the wall of a small basement garden or other enclosed area to give the impression that the garden is twice its actual size. Again, another trick is to attach trellis to a wall so that it gives the illusion of perspective: the typically horizontal battens should be arranged so as to point towards some imaginary vanishing point, taking the eye with them into the supposed distance. This is most effective when the impression given is that of a tunnel or corridor. A further method is to use a single panel on a side wall that narrows towards the far end, again in the direction of an imaginary vanishing point, making the space look longer. Plants can be used in a similar fashion: tall trees in the foreground with progressively shorter, thinner ones behind will give the illusion of distance. Pale flowers, misty blues for example, planted at the end of a border will make the border seem longer; conversely, brilliant colours planted at a distance will draw the end of the garden towards the viewer.
More illusions can be created by painting murals, of woods for example, that form a backdrop against which the garden is viewed, but the problem with this is that a painting does not change with the seasons. It is possible to create whole borders on a flat surface, with one or two real plants in front to add to the three-dimensional effect. Three-dimensional trompe Voeils can be created by using artificial flowering plants and trees made from plastic or silk. This kind of illusion should be used with care and is only suitable for certain types of quirky garden where such materials can be assimilated into the overall style. Real statues and other ornaments such as urns can also be placed in front of a decorative mural.
