A focal point can provide a place for the eyes to settle, not distract the eye from each nook. For a small yard, a front border, an edge of patio, or a narrow side garden, a single strong feature may help to unify the design. But, too many focal points may create the perception that a space is smaller and more busy and more challenging to read. Before selecting an object, plant, or sight-line as a focal point, it can help to think through what area might really require emphasis.
A focal point does not need to be eye-grabbing or high-impact; it may instead be a small tree or shrub, a bench, a cluster of taller shrubs, a simple pot, a birdbath, a textured grouping of plants, or a sight-line to a destination area like a bench or patio. What is important is that a focal point serves a purpose in the overall garden design. A focal point in an entry area can help to focus the eye, a focal point at the end of a path can guide a journey through a space, and a focal point seen from a window or patio can help to create a view to settle into.
Often, a sense of overcrowding comes from considering every interesting thing as a focal point. A curving flower bed, brightly colored flowers, a decorative container, a garden sculpture, an interesting shrub, and a meandering path can all look great on their own but may fight against each other when grouped together. This is not the result of more garden beauty, but, rather, more noise in the garden. In any garden design, clear and simple borders, open space, and simple repetition of plant groupings will help to allow your one focal point to shine.
Try to make a garden focal point decision early in your design sketch process, well before you start thinking of which garden furnishings and plants to purchase. Draw a base sketch of the site showing the main doors, windows, paths, patio or lawn edge, flower bed locations, and existing tree or shrubs, and then indicate three places where the eye may naturally fall when you are sitting in the entryway, the patio, and the main window. If all three locations require emphasis, determine which one can be your most important focal point and which can be secondary, ensuring your design does not become over-loaded with features that compete against one another.
Think of scale when considering focal points. An oversized focal point in a small space may feel heavy if the garden lacks circulation or room for a mature plant. A focal point that is too small to a large space may become lost, or, may require additional supporting elements, such as a border plant, mulch, low planting, or a well defined border, in the surrounding bed in order to create visual balance. Focal points may also vary according to scale. A bench or shrub at the end of a pathway may require open space in the foreground or background, while a small container may work better closer to the entrance, since it can be seen closer to home.
When planting around a garden focal point, consider plants that support rather than compete with the focal point. For instance, if the focal point is a shrub or small tree, select plants for nearby beds at a different and lower, or, softer height or scale to maintain visibility of the plant itself. If the focal point is a seating area, use a combination of shrubs, ground cover, and perennials to accent the area without overwhelming it. If the focal point is a visual line or corridor of the site, plant taller specimens in the background so they do not impede on the view line. Repetition of the same plant within one space can often be less distracting than many differing varieties planted in a garden group.
To check if your design contains too many focal points, cover parts of your sketch with a part of your hand and see if removing an additional feature or plant group creates more clarity. If the main focal point still looks connected to paths, lines-of-site, and planting areas it may well be doing its job. A good focal point need not fill the garden; it only requires space, contrast, and a calm, understated backdrop to allow it to stand out, to help the reader understand the overall garden design.