This document outlines principles of landscape design, including functional uses of plants and artistic composition. It discusses using plants to create visual/acoustic screens, frame views, and control microclimate. Artistic composition considers horizontal/vertical forms, texture from plant features, and warm/cool colors. Unity is created through repetition, variety, emphasis, balance, sequence, and using proper scale. Functional uses come first, then artistic composition considers physical plant properties to achieve design goals.

1. Principles of landscape design
By Capt. S.K.BHANDARI

2. • Landscape design involves functional use of
plants combined with artistic composition
Principles of landscape design
• Visual or acoustic screens
• Framing off-landscape views
– Functional use of landscapes:
• 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

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

4. • Physical properties of plants important in
landscape design
Principles of landscape design
• Stems, leaves, bark, and buds determine texture of plant
– Large or widely separated plant features create effect of coarseness
– Texture:
– 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

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

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

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

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

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

10. • Unity in landscape design
Principles of landscape design
– Balance
• Symmetrical balance = elements on either side of an axis
are identical (formal feel)
• 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)

11. • Unity in landscape design
Principles of landscape design
– Balance

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

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