Principles of landscape design

1. Principles of landscape design • Functional use of landscapes: • Landscape design involves functional use of plants combined with artistic composition • Visual or acoustic screens • Framing off-landscape views • Microclimate control (e.g. shading, protection from wind) • Creating enclosures (absolute or implied) • Functional uses should be considered first; landscape viewed as different units with different functions

2. Principles of landscape design • Form: • Artistic composition derived from physical properties of plants • Plants can be viewed as mainly horizontal or vertical • Horizontal shapes are less dramatic than vertical shapes • Tree forms depend on branching patterns • Shrub forms result from growth habits (e.g. upright or creeping)

3. Principles of landscape design • Texture: • Physical properties of plants important in landscape design • Stems, leaves, bark, and buds determine texture of plant • Large or widely separated plant features create effect of coarseness • Thick, tight foliage results in finer texture • Simple leaves appear coarser than compound leaves • Distance of view affects texture; farther you stand from plant, the finer its texture appears

4. Principles of landscape design • Color: • Physical properties of plants important in landscape design • Warm colors: yellows to reds • Bright, inviting and lively • Cool colors: greens to violets • Restful, receding, not as conspicuous • Foliage most often considered in landscape design, but flowers, bark and fruit also important

5. Principles of landscape design • Landscapes need some characteristics to tie together different (functional) units and plants within a unit • Unity in landscape design • Characters that provide unity in landscape design • simplicity • variety • emphasis • balance • sequence • scale

6. Principles of landscape design • Simplicity (repetition) • Created with repetition of form, texture, colors, or specific plant species • Unity in landscape design • Must prevent monotony; variety is used to ‘control’ repetition

7. Principles of landscape design • Variety • Varying forms, textures and shapes to prevent boredom • Unity in landscape design

8. Principles of landscape design • Emphasis • Drawing attention to important features of landscape • Unity in landscape design • Can draw attention to front door of residence by using plants that offer variety in color, texture or form near the door

9. Principles of landscape design • Balance • Symmetrical balance = elements on either side of an axis are identical (formal feel) • Unity in landscape design • Asymmetrical balance = unlike elements of equal visual weight on each side of an axis (less formal) • achieved by balancing forms of unequal size (e.g. 1 tree balanced by 3 shrubs) • Color adds visual weight; brightly colored plant may need to be balanced with several plants of equal size but not brightly colored • Coarse textures are visually heavier than fine textures (more fine-textured plants needed to balance coarse-textured plants)

10. Principles of landscape design • Balance • Unity in landscape design

11. Principles of landscape design • Sequence • Move viewer’s eyes over landscape in orderly fashion • Unity in landscape design • Achieved by gradual progression of form, texture or color • Any plant that breaks gradual progression becomes a point of emphasis

12. Principles of landscape design • Scale • Relative scale or proportion of landscape affects viewer’s mood • Unity in landscape design • Most landscapes should be proportional to human height or height of structure