Introduction to Landscape Design

Why am I taking this unit? This unit is designed to expose second year Ag-Ed students to the principles of landscape design and common landscape plants.

When will I ever use this? Some students may pursue a career in landscape design. It is a rewarding and lucrative career choice. The information is very useful to a homeowner. You will know what plants will work in different areas of the landscape. It will help you relate to a professional negotiating a contract when buying a house.

Why do we landscape?

Why is it important to landscape? Usefulness – Walkways, driveway, patio and other useful features should be located so that they are useful to getting you around the landscape and should blend into the design.

Walkways and Driveways

Patio

Why is it important to landscape? Beauty People want their yard to look beautiful

Why is it important to landscape? Increase property value The property value of a home is significantly increased when the home has a professional looking low maintenance landscape.

Poorly maintained landscape

Professional landscape

Imagine you are a landscaper and a customer calls your business Imagine you are a landscaper and a customer calls your business. Your first plan of action is a PRELIMINARY SURVEY or SITE ANALYSIS What are the components of a preliminary survey? Interview occupants Site analysis Prepare a plot plan Divide the property into zones Define the planting area and landscape features Climate control

Interviewing the customer

What are questions you would ask a new customer? What kind of landscape work are they interested in having done? Is it a new landscape? Is it a renovation of an already existing landscape? Would they like specific area planted? Do they have ideas of what they would like? Water garden, foundation planting, perennial garden…

What are their preferences? For example: Do they have a particular tree, shrub or flower in mind? Do they have a particular style in mind? colonial contemporary Naturalistic

Do you have any children? If so, how old? Younger children may need a play area Older children may have athletic needs such as basket ball net, swimming pool, or area to run and play field sports.

Do they have any pets? Some pets influence the landscape. For example: Large dog verses small dog Horses

What are the landscape design needs of the family? Are they considering a: Pool Patio Water garden Need to screen out an area such as the neighbors house of the road

How much are they willing to spend on this project? This question must be asked very carefully. If it is a large job, should they consider doing it in affordable stages? Do they need help with the design, but are willing to help with the work? Does it look like they have the money to have it all done for them, spare no expense?

What notations would you make during a site analysis? Once you get an idea of what they want, go out to the site and perform a site analysis. What notations would you make during a site analysis? Dimensions of the lot Is there a pond, brook, marsh or wet area Mark out the existing trees and shrub and their condition Type of soil Existing structures Concerns

Draw out a plot plan. What is a plot plan? It is a basic sketch of what is currently in the landscape viewed from above. It is not detailed.

What are considerations when drawing a plot plan? Open spaces and distances between objects Objects and plants should be thought of as forms and mass with height, width and thickness. Use mature plant size when drawing the plant symbol. Use tracing paper over the plot plan to explore several landscape design ideas.

Dividing the property into zones is a good beginning step for landscapers. Public zone – seen by people passing by Usually the front yard Provides the setting for the house Includes features such as driveway, walkway, and entrance of the house

Service Area – work areas of the yard Out of view from the living area and passing public Should connect easily to the work area of the house (kitchen, basement) Includes features such as storage area, garden shed, garage, garbage storage area For activities messy in appearance

Living area Location is related to the living area of the house Patio, terrace Gardens Pool Play (where parents can see) Outdoor living area

Find the Living Area

Private area A quiet area, not in view of the public Relaxation in the sun Private garden

Why do we divide the property into zones? To serve livability and pleasure To help unify the landscape design by blending each area of the landscape in a useful yet ascetically pleasing way

How are walkways and driveways used in the landscape? They help the blend the zoning of the property

How wide should a sidewalk be? 4 feet This allows two people to walk side by side on the sidewalk

The plot plan has been drawn and the property zones have been identified. What is the next step? Identify the planting areas Look through the windows to see what views you would like to change Plan structural features Put in general dimensions and placing of features such as a pool, retaining wall, fence or screen

How can a landscaper use plants to help the homeowner save money on the home heating and cooling bills? Cooling the house in the summer? Plant deciduous trees on the south side of the house to shade it. Keeping the house warmer in the winter? Plant deciduous trees on the south side of the house to allow sun in during the winter. and Plant evergreen trees or shrubs on the north side to create a wind break for the cold winter winds.

The principles of design Unity Single features and plants should fit into the whole picture. Each item must contribute to the theme. To help unify, it helps to put some of the same types of plants in different planting areas.

Harmony The landscape features are arranged in a manner that forms a pleasing picture. Colors and shapes blend well from zone to zone

Simplicity Keep plantings simple Easy for the eye to read Having too much variety is dizzy Repeat plants to help keep design simple.

Simplicity means understanding what is, and is not important in a landscape design. Details that will not have a major impact on the landscape are omitted to keep it uncluttered.                                                                                                                          

Repetition Repeating plants in the landscape helps unify the design. Repeating plants keeps plantings simple and helps harmonize.

You may repeat plants or color or shapes…

Balance There are two types of balance: Symmetrical – equal proportion on either side of the center.

Symmetrical Landscape Design

Asymmetrical Landscape Design

Remember it is the visual weight you must consider, so keep in mind bloom time and how dense or delicate the foliage.

Asymmetrical Landscape Design

Scale Proportion and relationship among the house, construction groupings and plant groupings. It is important to be very careful here, you can visually change the size and shape of the house by the arrangement of trees and shrubs.

Sequence The ease your eye follows from one point of interest in the landscape to one further away.

Focal Point A point that attracts your attention The front door Bright color plant Art object or fountain

Form The shapes of the plants in the landscape Examples: Column Cone Mound Globe horizontal

Forms

Texture Texture determines the visual weight the plant will have in the landscape. The smaller the leaf and the more open the branches the finer the texture, thus less visual weight. Ferns tend to have a light texture, rhododendrons have a dense texture

Color Color effects many of the principles of design. Unity, harmony, simplicity, repetition, balance, sequence, focal point Choose colors carefully so that they blend well.