5. What is landscape design?
A. After you buy a plant, decide
where best to place it in your
yard
B. Analyze the appearance of your
yard, then decide what plants
would look good
C. Study the environmental and
aesthetic aspects of your yard,
then decide what plants will
both look good and best thrive Afteryou
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Studytheenvironm
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6. Which leads us to …
• Landscape Design - a process by which we
determine our goals, analyze our
environment, and identify what will grow
well, and how best to use our space and
resources …. versus …
• Plant Driven “Design” – which often starts
with impulse buying and is done without
planning, without understanding our
environment, and is too often unsuccessful
7. Steps in Landscape Design
• Determine Program (Requirements)
• Site Analysis
• Concept Plan
• Illustrative Design
• Planting Design
8. Graphical Diagramming
• Diagramming enables designer to
– investigate approaches
– communicate organization, circulation, spatial
relationships, structure and enclosure
• Diagrams work with
– Concepts – ideas, processes, events
– Objects – Physical elements varying in scale
9. Step One: Determine
Requirements – the “Program”
• Identify wants and needs
• How you want to use the space
• Personal interests, favorite colors, styles
• Access requirements
• Context of neighborhood
Output: List of items to be included in the
plan or considered for inclusion
10. Example of Program
• Create an inviting entrance area to the front of the
house. The design will incorporate the existing
‘Forest Pansy’ Redbud tree and add 4-season
interest.
• Provide for an intimate outside dining area with
easy access to kitchen. The space should
accommodate small gatherings (4-6 people).
• Include a woodland path that can be accessed
from the back yard patio as well as from the front
walkway. Be sure to include several native azaleas
and other native plant material.
• The design should provide an informal, natural
look in keeping with the mountain site.
11. Next Step: Site Analysis
• Perform a Site
Inventory –
– Draw the house and
yard to scale
– Draw in all
permanent or semi-
permanent fixtures
& plants based on
measurements
– This is your base plan
or map
12. Site Analysis Resources
• Tape Measures (30’
metal, 100’ plastic)
• Graph Paper
(1/8” or 1/4”)
• Ruler
• Tracing paper
• Compass
• Plat/Survey
• GIS printout (see
handouts for website)
• Photos
13.
14.
15.
16. – Take pictures
• helps you see things
you might have
overlooked
• take pictures from
inside looking out
• good reminder as you
go through the design
process
17. Analysis
• Add notes & diagrams to show attributes and
problems with site
– show the existing plants and note the condition of
each plant
• Which plants have outlived their role?
• What plants could be moved or pruned to revitalize them?
• What plants have been shaded out by mature trees and
shrubs?
– note environmental conditions (aspect to the sun, soil
condition, shade, wetness, poor growth, frequent
pruning, etc.)
– Note aesthetic or visual problems (windows blocked,
bad view, need for privacy, etc.)
• Remember … “Everything depends on everything
else …” D. Bir
21. Track the Sun/shade patterns: Full sun plants
require 6 hours or more sun per day
22.
23.
24. Identify Functional Goals
• Buffer – screen visual, noise, provide privacy
• Enclosure – separate distinct use areas
• Entertainment
• Recreation
• Directing views
• Directing circulation
• Erosion control/drainage issues
• Climate control – shade, air filtration
• Increase wildlife habitats
25. Step Three:
Develop a Concept Plan
• Blend needs and function with ideas and creativity
• Try to create a “sense of place” - The character of the
garden that will be developed …
– Start with an overarching idea for the design - makes it more
enriching and helps move the design along
– May be based on the setting – natural, historical, …
– May be based upon a theme – color, memorial, …
– Always helps to have this sense in order to bring unity and
personalization to the landscape
26. Concept Diagram
Bubble diagrams help to
organize the space and
provide a way to let ideas
flow
•Use trace paper over the
site plan
•Develop a pattern relating
the house to structure and
views; helps keep
proportion so everything
hangs together
27.
28. Section & Perspective Drawings
•Rough section
drawings will help
offer a dimensional
view – can use photos
with trace paper to try
out ideas
29. Now think Design & Plants …
• Now it’s time to flesh out the concept,
taking it from the general to the specific
with stepwise refinement
• Address the program and resolve the
problems identified during site analysis
• Follow design principles for a satisfactory
new garden design
30. Design Elements in a Small
Garden
• Balance/Symmetry
• Proportion/Scale
• Unity
– Contrast/Texture/Color
– Focalization
– Repetition/Rhythm/Transition
34. Symmetry Provides Balance
- Identical images on either side of axis
- Gives sense of order, serenity & formality
35.
36. Asymmetry Can Still Have Balance
-Blending of different elements with visual weight equal
across image
- For example, 1 large object balanced by several smaller or
can achieve this visually through texture and materials that
reflect subordination or dominence
41. Scale and
Proportion
• Important in small space
• Scale in a garden relates
human form to the
objects
• Proportion relates to
size relationships of
parts within a whole –
the objects within the
composition
From Notanothergardeningblog.wordpress.com
47. • This will help you
organize the space
• Helps achieve intimacy
and maintain scale
Think in Terms of
Outside “Rooms”
48.
49.
50. Unity
• Synthesizing of elements
into a harmonious whole
• Unifying concept
• Repetition of elements,
color, shape, line
• Unity – bringing order and
harmony to composition
so that it all fits together
51. Variety
• Contrast – brings
visual relief to a
composition
• Tension - opposing
elements provide
drama
• Differences provides
interest and meaning
within a unified
context
• Shape
• Texture
• Color
• Weight
• Lines & curves
57. Where does the eye go?
A. Tree
B. Chartreuse Perennial
C. Rock Walkway
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58. Where Does the Eye Go?
A. Variegated Shrub
B. Oakleaf Hydrangea
C. Blue Flowers
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64. How to we create a
balance between Variety
and Unity?
• Choose a theme or
sense of place to
tie it all together
• Select plants and
materials that
create repetition,
rhythm and
transition
• Place plants so that
there is a focal
point
83. Rhythm & Transition
• Rhythm - Reinforcing concept such as
stepping stones, row of columns or tree
trunks, repeated plant, or form
• Transition – relates contrasting elements,
softens contrasting materials through linear
elements, paths, walls, edges, etc.
93. Identify Functional Goals
Buffer – screen visual, noise, provide privacy
Enclosure – separate distinct use areas
Entertainment
Recreation
Directing views
Directing circulation
Erosion control/drainage issues
Climate control – shade, air filtration
Increase wildlife habitats
94. Where Does the Water Go in My
Yard?
• To solve stormwater
problems in your yard,
begin by observing
your yard during a
rainfall event.
• Notice where water is
flowing from, and
where it is going.
98. Rain garden principles
• Place between
stormwater source and
destination (between
house and stream, low
spots in yard, or street)
• Soil and plants filter
pollutant from water
• Infiltration slows water
to decrease flooding
99. Provide a dry stream bed to collect and route
water off the hill -
100. Step Five: Planting Design
• Choose Plants that Fit the Design
– Consider style and overall effect; designate
focal points
– Consider time element – both seasonal
change and ultimate size of plants
– Consider shape, texture, color, contrast,
repetition, rhythm, etc.
101. Right Plant, Right Place
• Consider environmental factors
– Sun exposure
– Moisture
– Soil condition, pH, texture
– Space to grow to ultimate expected size
• If working with existing plants - identify those that
need to be removed, moved or renewal pruned
102. Learn from the Natural
Landscape
• Orientation
– North – shade, part shade
Rhododendron, Sourwood,
Christmas Fern
– South – full sun, unless tree
shaded
Barren/Grasses,
Weeds/Wildflowers;
Shaded/Mountain Laurel
120. Planting Layout Tips
• Watch out for spreaders!
• Plant in masses – odd numbers usually work best
• Group plants by their water requirements and
place those that need more water closest to the
source
• When planting natives, look to what grows
together in plant communities – they will be most
successful together
• Avoid monoculture – variety helps avoid plant
disease
122. “Natural” Garden Design
• Imitate nature
• Plant masses or drifts of one kind of plant, gradually yielding
to another, with interspersion at borders
123. Hillside Layout Tips
• Break up the water with rock & plants
• Alter the slope with terraces, berms, walls
• Plant in masses
• Plant closer together than you might on
level land
• Plant a variety - different layers help to
slow down the water
126. Appropriate Plants for
the Mountain Garden
– Use natives where possible –
they are tolerant of the climate
variability of your site and you
won’t spread competing species
to naturalized areas; remove
invasives!
– Consider environmental factors
• Sun/shade
• Soil
• Wetness
139. Hillside Planting Tips
• For very steep slopes, use jute staked down
and cut holes/plant through it
• Plant from the top down so you don’t tread
on those newly planted
• Place lower maintenance plants at top of
slope, higher maintenance plants at bottom
140. Hillside Watering Tips
• Plant with dam or water well to retain
water (roof shingles have been suggested)
• Water in cycles to avoid runoff – check
what is absorbed – give a couple hours rest
– then repeat in cycles
• Drip hose placed at top of hill, lets water
run down hill
141. Traditional Groundcovers
• Juniper – ok if full sun and good drainage
• Ivy – Invasive!
• Vinca – less, but still Invasive!
• Cotoneaster – Collects leaves and gets Lacebug
• Ajuga – Spreads too easily
• Liriope – ok for a non-native
• Pachysandra – the non-native is ok, but try the
native
• Winter Creeper – this is an Invasive!
149. The “Dirty Dozen” …
of Invasive Plants
• Some of which are sold in the landscape trade
• Some that you might have in your garden
• Some that you love from your childhood
• All for which there are good alternatives!
150. English Ivy
• Hedera helix
• Evergreen vine that can grow to
100 feet in length
• Can invade woodlands, fields and
other upland areas
• It can grow both along the ground,
where it can displace native
understory species, and in the tree
canopy, often covering branches
and slowly killing trees
• Native to Europe and was
introduced into America by early
settlers for ornamental purposes
151. Instead of English Ivy
Native Pachysandra, Virginia Creeper, Native Ferns,
Partridgeberry, Sedges, Foam Flower, Creeping Phlox, Woodland
Geranium
152. Non-native Honeysuckles
• Lonicera fragrantissima, L. japonica,
L. maaki, L. morrowii
• Evergreen to semi-evergreen vine that
can be found either trailing or climbing
to heights of over 80 feet (or shrub
varieties)
• Vine invades a variety of habitats
including forest floors and canopies,
roadsides, wetlands, and disturbed
areas. It can girdle small saplings by
twining around them and can form
dense mats in the canopies of trees,
shading everything below
• Shrubs readily invade open woodlands,
old fields and other disturbed sites and
can spread rapidly due to the seeds
being dispersed by birds and mammals
• Shrubs introduced in the 1700’s and
vine in early 1800’s. Honeysuckle have
been planted widely throughout the
United States as an ornamental, for
erosion control, and for wildlife habitat.
153. Instead of Japanese Honeysuckle …
Coral Honeysuckle, Summersweet,
Spicebush, Sweetshrub
154. Multiflora Rose
• Rosa multiflora
• Multi-stemmed thorny,
perennial shrub that grows up
to 15 feet tall
• Forms impenetrable thickets in
pastures, fields and forest edges.
It restricts human, livestock and
wildlife movement and
displaces native vegetation.
• Native to Asia and was first
introduced to America in 1866
as rootstock for ornamental
roses. During the mid 1900s it
was widely planted as a “living
fence” for livestock control and
it has also been used for erosion
control.
155. Instead of Multiflora Rose …
Blackberry, Flowering Raspberry, Pasture rose, Swamp Rose
156. Mimosa
• Albizia julibrissin
• Mimosa invades any type of
disturbed habitat. It is commonly
found in old fields, stream banks,
and roadsides.
• Once established, mimosa is
difficult to remove due to the long
lived seeds and its ability to re-
sprout vigorously. Said to be one
of biggest invasive problems in the
Smokies!
• Native to Asia and was first
introduced into the U.S. in 1745
and has been used as an
ornamental.
157. Princess Tree
• Paulownia tomentosa
• Deciduous tree, growing up to
60 feet in height and 2 feet in
diameter. Princess tree is easily
recognized by its opposite,
fuzzy, large (6 to 12 inches
long), heart-shaped leaves and
showy, erect, pale-violet flowers
• Invades roadsides, stream
banks, forest edges, and other
disturbed areas, but has the
ability to invade a wide variety
of places.
• Native to eastern Asia and was
first introduced into America in
the early 1800s for ornamental
purposes and as a potential
export for carving wood
158. Instead of Mimosa or
Princess Tree …
Serviceberry,
River Birch,
Redbud,
Sweetbay
Magnolia,
Sourwood,
Dogwood
159. Burning Bush
• Euonymous alata
• Deciduous shrub, up to 20 feet in
height, which invades forests
throughout the eastern United
States
• Can invade a variety of disturbed
habitats including forest edges, old
fields, and roadsides. The seeds are
readily dispersed by birds, allowing
for many long dispersal events.
Once established, it can form dense
thickets that displace native
vegetation
• Native to northeastern Asia and was
first introduced into America in the
1860s for ornamental purposes. It
currently continues to be sold and
planted as a ornamental or roadside
hedge.
160. Instead of Burning Bush …
Fothergilla
Virginia Sweetspire
High Bush Blueberry
Chokeberry
161. Japanese Spirea
• Spirea japonica
• Small, deciduous shrub (up to 6 feet
tall) that invades a variety of habitats
throughout the eastern United States
• Japanese spiraea invades a variety of
habitats including fields, forests,
stream banks, and many disturbed
areas. Once established, it can form
dense stands which displace native
vegetation and close open areas
• Native to eastern Asia and was first
introduced into the United States
around 1879 as an ornamental.
162. Barberry
• Berberis japonica
• Small deciduous shrub from 2
to 8 feet tall
• Japanese barberry invades a
variety of habitats from shaded
woodlands to open fields and
wetlands.
• It is very shade-tolerant and can
form dense stands which shade
out and displace native species.
The berries are readily eaten
and dispersed by birds, allowed
Japanese barberry to spread
rapidly
• Native to Asia and was first
introduced into America in 1864
as an ornamental. It is still
widely planted for landscaping
and hedges.
163. Instead of Spirea or Barberry …
Summersweet, Virginia Sweetspire,
St John’s Wort, Fothergilla or
masses of native perennials
164. Wisteria
• Wisteria sinensis and Wisteria
floribunda
• Deciduous woody vine capable
of growing to 70 feet long
• Invasions often occur around
previous plantings. Chinese and
Japanese wisteria can displace
native vegetation and kill trees
and shrubs by girdling them.
• They have the ability to change
the structure of a forest by
killing trees and altering the
light availability to the forest
floor.
• Natives of Japan and China,
first introduced into America
around 1830 for ornamental
purposes
165. Instead of Chinese or Japanese
Wisteria
Crossvine, Coral Honeysuckle,
American Wisteria, Carolina Jessamine
166. Bradford Pear
• Pyrus calleryana
• Ornamental deciduous tree with some
non-sterile cultivars that have escaped
and are invading natural areas
throughout the eastern United States
• The “Bradford” variety of pear, which
produced sterile fruits, has been widely
planted throughout America since the
early 1900s, but recent cultivars, bred
to reduce the tendency of the tree to
split in snow or high winds, have
produced viable seeds and escaped to
invade disturbed areas.
168. Tree of Heaven
• Ailanthus altissima
• Rapidly growing small tree but
can reach up to 80 feet in height
and 6 feet in diameter
• It is extremely tolerant of poor
soil conditions and has been
known to grow even in cement
cracks.
• It cannot grow in shaded
conditions but thrives in
disturbed forests or edges.
Dense clonal thickets displace
native species and can rapidly
take over fields and meadows.
• Native to Asia, was first
introduced into America in 1748
by a Pennsylvania gardener. It
was widely planted in cities
because of its ability to grow in
poor conditions
169. Instead of Tree of Heaven
Box Elder, Ash, Black Walnut,
Smooth Sumac
170. Japanese Silver Grass
• Miscanthus sinensis
• a tall (up to 10 feet), densely-
bunched grass that invades forest
edges, old fields, and other
disturbed areas throughout the
United States
• It escapes from ornamental
plantings where it forms large
clumps along disturbed areas
displacing native vegetation.
• The grass is also extremely
flammable and increases fire risks
of invaded areas.
• Native to Asia and was introduced
into the United States for
ornamental purposes.
172. Privet
• Ligustrum lucidum, L. japonicum
and L. sinense
• Thick, semi-evergreen shrub to 30
feet in height
• It commonly forms dense thickets
in the fields or in the understory of
forests.
• It shades and out competes many
native species and, once
established, is very difficult to
remove.
• Introduced into the United States
in the early 1800s. It is commonly
used as an ornamental shrub and
for hedgerows
174. Some other plants of concern …
• Periwinkle (Vinca major, minor)
• Japanese Stilt Grass
(Microstegium vimineum)
• Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus
orbiculata)
• Butterfly Bush (Buddleia –
straight species)
• Spreading Euonymous
(Euonymus fortunei)
• Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina)
175. Rehabilitation and Restoration
• Replace invasive plants you have removed
with non-invasive, and if possible, native
plants, in order to:
– Control erosion
– Fill space so invasives don’t return
176. Replacement Plant Material
• Know your plants’ identities and habits
• Buy nursery-propagated plant material and know
the identity of the plants you install
• Learn about native plants and match them with
site conditions
• Use plants that occur together in natural habitats
• Beware of the “Trojan Horse” – if it sounds too
good to be true, it probably is
177. New Plant Selection
• Choose drought-resistant plants to lower your
maintenance costs
• Choose plants with ultimate size in mind – consider the
many dwarf evergreens
• Consider selection for seasonal interest and color – not
just spring and summer flower, and fall color, but berries,
interesting bark, seed heads, etc.
• Use natives where possible – they are more drought
resistant and you won’t spread competing species to
naturalized areas; remove invasives!
• If deer are a problem – your selection will be limited!
178. In Summary
• A successful garden design relies on getting
a good handle on your requirements and
performing a thorough site analysis
• Garden design is an iterative process – it
relies on principles of all good design
• Planting design relies on these principles as
well – most importantly keep it simple and
use the right plant/right place
179. Design Principles Review
• Garden and planting design relies on principles of all good
design:
– Keep the garden elements in Balance
– Keep Scale and Proportion in mind; think rooms, each
with an appropriately sized Focal Point
– Keep it simple – look for Unifying elements such as
Repetition, Rhythm and Transition
– Provide Contrast through color, texture and all season
interest
180. Some questions to ask about
your garden …
• Is there a strong focal point, or is everything
about equal in weight?
– If the latter, consider adding a specimen plant,
a beautiful outdoor sculpture, or a showy
container planting
• Is the garden too busy with color or texture?
– Move plants around to create more unity, or
add a few repeating plants
181. More questions …
• Is there adequate contrast?
– Maybe adding perennials would bring more
depth through varying textures
• Are the plants in proportion to the house?
Are the plants a livable scale?
– If you have overgrown plants, consider
removing them and replace them with
varieties that won’t overwhelm
182.
183.
184.
185. Enjoy
your
garden …
Give fools their
gold, and knaves
their power;
let fortune’s
bubbles rise and
fall.
Who sows a field,
or trains a flower,
or plants a tree,
is more than all
…”
John Greenleaf
Whittier
My background
Moved here almost 2 years ago
Landscape design training & exp in DC area
Here – everybody wanted to know what to do with their slopes – so I started researching and collecting ideas
What I’m going to present is a mix of landscaping and planting solutions that fit a mix of hillsides I have run into since moving here. Many are ideas I’ve collected from talks I’ve attended or from researching on the web.
This is the place where you assess what you currently have (both good and bad)
It’s very important to spend some time analyzing what your problems are before you start creating a design.
Where does the water go? My usual first step …
What plants work and which ones cause too much work?
Think about the functions that might be achieved by the new design. This is another way your analysis can lead to design goals …
Is there a lot of noise from the street?
Is there one big open space that makes it hard to relax?
Is there a bad view that you want to screen?
No good way to get from the front to back yard?
Not enough shade?
Nothing to attract the birds and butterflies you would like to enjoy? A
The next step is to actually come up with a design that will solve the problems you identified, provide the functions that you set as your goals, and to create a cohesive design. We’re going to focus on design principles that will help you accomplish these things.
It’s hard to talk about design principles one at a time because they are all inter-related. The ones that I think are most important are Balance, Scale and Unity – and these can be most problematic in a small garden. Some design elements can best be addressed in the context of unity … so we’ll talk especially about contrast, focalization, repetition, rhythm and transition
Let’s start with Balance …
Balance is about the visual weight of objects in your environment.
If the visual weight is not handled properly, the space can feel unsettling – a little “off balance”. The key to accomplishing balance is to look at the distribution of visual weight across the viewing area.
Let’s look at balance in some existing garden spaces …
Sometimes a landscape feels off balance because overgrown plant material is too weighty for the house, or one plant has grown much more than surrounding plants.
When something is out of balance, it is often due to things other than the plants … in this case, a large basement wall creates the feeling that something is not quite right …
We’re all comfortable with the balance that a strongly symmetric garden provides … think of a formal Italian garden, or a knot garden – or many of the Fearrington Village garden spaces. Symmetry is achieved by using a strong axis across which design features are in mirror image. The weight of both “sides” of the garden is the same, so the view feels comfortable, but it is usually a pretty formal environment.
This woodland garden in Brevard starts with symmetry across a central axis, but the central moss garden is assymetical. The visual weight though is balanced because you’re the stone path which is dominant is on one side, but a large boulder and a tree are on the other side of the axis.
We have a very assymetric garden here, but the space is balanced by the weight of the boulder vs the bench, the large mounded abelia is balanced by the pyramidal chamaecyparis.
This walkway has a main axis, and the weight of the open railing on the left opening into woodlands is balanced by dense plantings and the wall on the right.
A good way to test balance of your design before you plant is to make a quick drawing. Use trace paper over a picture of the area you are designing. Then test your planting ideas by drawing in shapes to signify the trees at their mature size. You’ll see that this design was implemented; hard to tell when it was first planted that it is in balance, but the concept drawing reassures me that this will work.
Tied into how balance is achieved are the concepts of scale and proportion. Scale is … and proportion is …
I often encounter problems of proportion when I am asked to renovate a garden because there are overgrown plants that have dwarfed the home. Their size is not in keeping with the other elements in the picture ….
Scale more often is a problem when outdoor spaces are too large relative to the people who will be a part of the garden.
Adding people to the scene shows that the walled garden on the left is out of scale to the person trying to enjoy the space. Rather than feeling enclosed, I would imagine a visitor would feel overwhelmed in the space. Perhaps a small tree with a canopy would make the space feel more intimate.
The garden on the right does feel in scale to the person enjoying the space. The pergola overhead makes this space feel comfortable.
Here is another example of how design elements can make a place feel more livable. In this garden on the left, the pathway to the front door was a wide gravel driveway with a tall stone wall on the right – both overwhelming.
To bring this down to human scale, we added a path and plantings on ground level and it is now welcoming.
A very large space is easy to get lost in. Intimate spaces are much more comfortable.
Remember one of my original goals – a garden should be live-able and a place you want to be in. This is best accomplished when space is kept manageable. Just as in your house, you have rooms for different functions, a garden is most liveable if it is thought of in terms of rooms.
Here is an example of a design I worked on for that long narrow back yard. By breaking the space into rooms … related to the various program requirements … I was able to create spaces that are live-able
Just as you would inside, think of
Floors: hardscape, groundcovers
Walls/enclosure: hedges, border plants, trees
Ceiling: tree canopies, arbors, sky
Here’s another example of breaking a large space into smaller rooms. The large front yard was divided into a private courtyard inside the fence, leaving the outer area to buffer the house and to greet the street.
A back yard that sprawled into the woodlands left no place to enjoy the environment. The pathway leads the way to a small outside patio and a screened porch, both of which make the outside into livable space.
We plant lovers often have trouble creating unity in the garden because our love of plants pushes the variety button. But there are ways to have variety in the garden and keep a working balance.
There are two important characteristics of plant material that lend variety to plantings: Color and Texture. Both of these play with the eye and affect the balance of a space by drawing attention. Let’s talk about texture ... it is typically described in terms of coarse, medium and fine. Examples are … .
Note how the large-leaved heuchera in the picture on the left draws your eye. Of course the color has something to do with that as well.
On the right, the large leaved hydrangea pulls your attention, even though there is a fine-leaved daphne in the foreground.
Texture is key to creating an interesting garden, and once again, balance is the key.
Color plays similar eye games. Bright colors draw your attention. Dark colors recede. Complementary colors provide a strong contrast and so draw attention. In a garden with too much color, it can be difficult to get a sense of unity.
In this garden, my eye jumps all around. This isn’t a comfortable feeling garden in my opinion.
And yet we love the popping color contrasts that various plants and materials provide. This is much of the fun of gardening.
So, the key is to play with plant combinations to get interesting juxtapositions, but then to use them judiciously in the garden … working on ways to create unity that will balance the contrast.
How to get unity with all of these things going on? The key is in your choice of sense of place, selection of plants and your placement of plants.
The concept – that sense of place - you choose becomes your guide for tying things together. If you decide you want a white garden, your unifying element is clearly color. If you decide you want a woodland garden, your unifying element will be a palette of plants and materials that create the feeling of forest.
Let’s go back to the idea of rooms. Approach each space in terms of creating what I call a vignette. That is, within that “room”, select one specimen plant or another design element to be a focal point. You may have some strong seasonal interest that will become a strong focus as well, but one predominate focal point usually works best. Otherwise your eye is bouncing around and that is unsettling.
Let’s go back to the idea of rooms. Approach each space in terms of creating what I call a vignette. That is, within that “room”, select one specimen plant or another design element to be a focal point. You may have some strong seasonal interest that will become a strong focus as well, but one predominate focal point usually works best. Otherwise your eye is bouncing around and that is unsettling.
Repetition becomes one of the strongest unifying elements in a garden. By using the same plant multiple places in the garden, you get a strong reinforcement of that element which adds a comfort level. This would not be a specimen that is repeated … there should only be one of your focal point plant. But you might repeat an evergreen, or mass a flowering shrub to give it some strength.
You might create unity through color, while keeping variety in texture. Lots of evergreen, but a mix of texture is a harmonizing feel.
This garden bed has a strong sense of unity, even though the textures are different. The greens and yellows are repeated in each plant choice.
Repeating hardscape materials ties things together. For instance, the use of stone walkway might be repeated with boulders on the slope and stepping stones through the woodlands.
If you approach your outdoor space as a set of rooms, you can provide unity in the way you tie them together with paths and transition. You can make the space feel live-able by selecting hardscape and plant material that is in scale to the human form.
Think about the functions that might be achieved by the new design. This is another way your analysis can lead to design goals …
Is there a lot of noise from the street?
Is there one big open space that makes it hard to relax?
Is there a bad view that you want to screen?
No good way to get from the front to back yard?
Not enough shade?
Nothing to attract the birds and butterflies you would like to enjoy? A
Rain Gardens serve to intercept rainfall runoff and infiltrate it into the ground. The are located BETWEEN the runoff source and destination.
This picture might help you see the difference. Note that Jake’s belly is out of proportion to his body … that is the size is not quite in keeping with the other elements of his body On the other hand, the sign, the pathway and the roses are all nicely in scale to Jake because their size seems to have the expected relationship to the human form.
Some things you might want to think about when you look at your own garden …
Do I have a single strong focal point, or is everything just about equal in strength? If the latter, consider adding a specimen plant or beautiful outdoor sculpture,,
Is it too busy? If so, maybe you could move things around to create more unity and add a few repeating plants
Is there enough contrast – could some perennials be added to add depth through varying textures?
Are the plants in proportion to the house? Are the plants a live-able scale? If you have overgrown plants, consider removing them and replace them with varieties that won’t overwhelm.
My background
A home gardener for most of my life – knew I liked plants and liked to garden, but didn’t have a clue about design.
As I reached a point in my first career where I could foresee an early retirement, I started taking landscape design classes at George Washington University. I found I liked it, and completed the design and horticulture program there. After I retired, I worked with a landscape design/build firm in the DC area. Then I moved to Western North Carolina in 2004 and I have been designing gardens there ever since.
Today, I’d like to share some of my experiences in landscape design, and, hopefully, show you how you might apply them to your home garden