Part of our fascination with water is that when we are looking at the still surface of a pond we see it as a solid, but we know that we can move through water. Like a lawn, a pond will create visual negative space, even though we can t walk on the surface of the water, at least during the growing season. For a part of a garden to feel like negative space, it is not necessary that we really be able to move through the entire space, but the taller the plants, the more closed in the space will feel. If the plants are higher than the visitors knees, they will start to experience a claustrophobic feeling. It is important to remember that all of your garden s visitors will probably not be the same height, to create a breathing room in your garden, the plants in this area should not be taller than a toddler s knees.
Sculptors use the terms mass and void .
Mass refers to solids or positive space. Void refers to negative space. When thinking about how to unify a garden through the manipulation of positive and negative space, the terms mass and void are very helpful. While some plants naturally have strong sculptural forms, these plants are generally used as accents. When thinking about positive and negative space, it is best to think of plants in masses, rather than individual plants.