Design Principles

Objectives Explain landscape design business concepts. Create a functional and aesthetically pleasing landscape plan. Demonstrate landscape plant installation and maintenance practices. Install a landscape area based on a landscape design.

Balance The same mass of plants on one side compared to the other. Symmetry

asymmetry

Proportion The size of an object is not too big or too small compared to another object. Too large of a tree for example, will make a house look small.

Proportion The size of an object is not too big or too small compared to another object. Too small of a tree for example, will make a house look big.

Proportion cont Width to height ratio for yard space and hedges/ borders is 3 to 1. The height of a border or hedge depends on the width of the space next to it. In order to be comfortable and not feel like you are trapped in a prison, the height of the hedge should be no more than 1/3 the width of the space next to it.

Line The line formed by the silhouette of a row of plants such as you would see in a border, or foundation planting.

Choppy or Flat

Rhythm A repeated pattern of plants.

Simplicity Plants are massed together in bunches usually in odd numbers (3, 5, 7 etc) and the number of different types of plants are kept to a minimum to avoid it looking busy.

Unity All the parts of the property (outdoor rooms) work together. They feel connected and not out of place.

Contrasts and Similarities- in color and texture Color schemes are important, if you don’t have an eye for mixing colors, there are a few never fail combinations that are pleasing to the eye. Monochrome- Variations of one color…many shades of blue for example. White- a white garden is visible both day and night. All American- Red white and blue always looks good together. Try to avoid too many colors at once. Try to divide the color scheme unevenly…most, some, least. Texture- Mix up the texture of the plants and other garden objects as well, large leaf/small leaf; fine leaves/ rough leaves; soft/rough; fuzzy/glossy; narrowleaf evergreen/broadleaf evergreen.

Most, Some, Least principle Most: gets the neutral color- green, silver, grey, white Some: Intermediate Least: brightest color: red, yellow

Plant Use Plants have many practical purposes other than to look nice. Windbreak Privacy screens Hedges Borders/Living fences Shade tree Line walkways

Compromise Sometimes we have to break some of the design principles to effectively use plants for a specific purpose.

Windbreaks In this area cold winter winds arrive from the northwest. These winds steal heat from the house by a process called convective cooling. Tall evergreens are used in the NW corner of the property in order to break up the wind and push it upwards and over the house. wind

Privacy Screen Sometimes it is necessary to make a hedge or border a little higher, and out of proportion to the width of the space between it and the house in order to block a view (people looking in, or some kind of eyesore you choose not to look at).

Shade Trees Shade trees should be located on the southwest, or South and West side of a house, because this is when it throws shade on the house during the hottest part of the day (mid day – evening). Appropriate trees have a lollipop shape so they can be planted really close to the house, without blocking the view out lower windows and still allow shade to be thrown over some of the roof and sides of the house. Trees are actually planted within 12 feet of the house, such as larger maples, oaks, honeylocusts, ash trees.

Borders – of outdoor rooms, walkways, property lines Some plants are appropriate to use as a border, some are not. If plants are used to line walkways they should be slow growing, and not outgrow the area and not encroach the walkway as it matures. Avoid plants with spines and thorns. The boundaries of outdoor rooms may be marked by plants, instead of walls or fences. They do not have to be big, just demonstrating that one area is separated from the next area.

Landscape plans

PROJECT TIME You are to take an assignment, turn it into a landscape plan, then build your landscape plan into a 3D model. House Pool Flower bed Basketball court 4 evergreen trees Evergreen shrubs for privacy Patio Due at the end of the quarter (2 weeks!!). Use any material you’d like. 70 points possible (35 for design, 35 for model)