The document outlines key principles of landscape design including basic principles, artistic principles, functionality principles, and design principles. The five basic principles are color, form, line of sight, scale or balance, and texture. Color theory uses primary, secondary, tertiary, and neutral colors and how they are arranged on a color wheel. Form refers to a plant's shape. Line of sight influences eye movement. Scale and balance relate to visual relationships and sizes of landscape components. Texture considers surface qualities. Design principles include point, line, form/shape, space, and color.

1. Landscape Principles

4. Basic principles
•Color
•Form
•Line of sight
•Scale or balance
•Texture
Artistic principles
•order and unity,
•Simplicity
•Variety
•scale and proportion,
•balance and harmony, and
•rhythm and repetition/ sequence
Functionality principles
•Visually pleasing
•Cost effective
•Easy maintenance
•Functional
•Environmentally sound
Design principles
•point
•line
•form/ shape
•space

5. The 5 basic principles of landscape
design are:
•Color
•Form
•Line of sight
•Scale or balance
•Texture

6. Color theory is often used in
landscape design by dividing the color
spectrum into 4 categories:
•Primary: reds, yellows and blues.
•Secondary: greens, violets (purples)
and oranges.
•Tertiary: Mixtures of the primary and
secondary categories.
•Neutral: White, grays and silvers.
Color

7. The spectrum is shown as a wheel, divided into slices that
stand for the colors.
Using color theory landscapers use this wheel:
•to choose adjacent colors
in the spectrum to provide
unity
•or juxtapose items directly
across from each other on
the wheel for contrast.

8. A simple way to achieve
unity is to:
•match warm colors to warm
colors (red, yellow and
orange)
•Cool Colors to cool colors
(blue, purple and green).

9. Proper use of color theory can influence the mood felt in a
yard.
•warm colors tend to
excite the viewer
colors like red are
natural for focal points
•cool colors are more
likely to relax the viewer.
colors like blue are
a logical choice for
meditation gardens.

10. Beginning gardeners plant
their favorite colors with
little or no planning
advanced gardeners use
the color theory to make
their plantings create mood
and style!

11. In landscape design terminology, form is the shape of a
plant.
•Upright
•oval
•columnar
•spreading
•broad spreading
•weeping
form

12. Tall plants create a vertical look, drawing the eye upward
Low spreading plants draw
the eye to the horizon.
Use individual specimen plants
to break monotony and create
interest.
A mixture of a variety of form becomes confusing

13. The line of sight is the viewer's
eye movement or flow being
influenced by the arrangement
of plants and their borders.
Eye movement is unconsciously
affected by the way plant
groupings fit or flow together,
both on the horizontal and
vertical planes.
Line of sight

14. Hedges or rows of plants
direct the attention to a focal
point or specific area
Meandering lines or curves
slow movement and create a
natural, undisturbed feeling.

15. the visual relationship of
the landscape
components, relative to
size.
Equal sizes on both sides
of the landscape gives
balance
Scale and Balance

16. Symmetrical – the repeating of
the elements on either side of
an axis (an imaginary central
line)
Asymmetrical – equal size or
weight on both sides of the axis,
without repeating specific
elements

17. texture is the touch or visual surface quality of an
object, or plant
The texture of a plant's foliage or bloom can be
viewed as coarse, medium or fine.
T
e
x
t
u
r
e

18. FINE MEDIUM COARSE

19. Mix plants with larger leaves (coarse texture)
and smaller leaves (fine texture) to avoid
monotony in a planting bed and to add visual
interest.
The greater the distance the plant is, the
smoother the texture appears to be

20. Texture changes with
distance.
Close up texture comes
from the size and shape of
leaves, twigs and branches.
At a distance, texture comes
from the mass and play of
light.

21. Mix plants with larger
leaves (coarse texture)
and smaller leaves (fine
texture) to avoid
monotony in a planting
bed and to add visual
interest.
The greater the distance
the plant is, the smoother
the texture appears to be
TEXTURE

26. Elements in design are form, line, texture, and color. In
landscape design, additional elements of sound (chimes, or
the sound of water in rivers, the ocean, or waterfalls) and
fragrance can also be included.
Design elements are arranged according to design principles.
These include :
order and unity,
Simplicity
Variety
scale and proportion,
balance and harmony, and
rhythm and repetition/ sequence
Design themes such as Japanese, tropical, or contemporary
can also unite the design components in a distinct fashion.

27. Order and unity
Agricultural fields convey a strong
sense of order, with their equal
spacing between crop plants and
rows. residents and visitors value
the open, orderly vistas preserved
by agriculture.
Sugarcane and pineapple fields
providing aesthetically pleasing
views of order and unity that benefit
the tourism industry.
Humans naturally look for order
and tend to find it unpleasant when
elements look like they are placed
by chance or at random.

28. The uniformity of a large field of anthuriums in flower is aesthetically appealing .
In nature, a plant species can become dominant under certain environmental
conditions that favor that species.

32. Simplicity: Limiting Change
Achieved by repetition of ideas or materials.
One of most common errors in landscapes is trying to do “too
much”
Less can be more. Too much variety in plant material
becomes chaotic
Reduce the number of themes
Viewer should experience the landscape in parts as
well as a whole
Too much simplicity = Monotony

36. Variety = Absence of Monotony
Variety allows for a prominent element.
Engages viewer with what's going on.
Important to have something unexpected.
Variety adds spice and interest…..
but, too much variety = Confusion
Delicate relationship between Variety and
Simplicity

41. Rhythm and repetition
The principle of rhythm and repetition tends to achieve visual unity. Golf
courses have a natural thetic appeal because of the repetition of grassed areas.
Water features the ocean, lakes, and rivers achieve an effect because of the
repetition of water. Many people take pictures of sun sets over the ocean
because of the outstanding color of the setting sun and the stark simplicity of
the sky and ocean.

46. Repetition of the same plant species automatically repeats the
same texture, color, and form.
With more repetition of different elements the design becomes
more powerful.
In landscape design the principle of rhythm and repetition is the
most important. Absolute order and unity can be somewhat
monotonous and boring. So, one of the last steps in creating a
design can be to add some disunity. As a general rule, change
some elements of the plant material, but not more than
10 twenty percent.

49. Scale and proportion
Scale and proportion can refer to individual plants or the
relationship of the plants to the architectural structure. If a ti plant
has a diameter of 6 inches from one end of the foliage to the other
end, the plant may be in good proportion below 1 foot (Fig. 15) or
be out of proportion above 2 feet. Single-trunk tree ferns and
palms (Fig. 16) may be in scale when young but out of proportion
when old. Large trees such as monkeypods are generally 1815
too large for small lots but are fine for large parks (Fig. 17).

53. Balance and harmony
The use of line can be a strong element in design. Vertical lines, for
example, can impart an emotional lift to a design. In Hawaii, coconut trees
(Fig. 18), Cook pines (Fig.19), bamboo (Fig. 20), and ironwood trees (Fig.
21) have been used as vertical elements in landscapes. In the U.S.
Northwest, conifers (Fig. 22) can be used in the same way. The use of
horizontal lines in hedges (Fig. 23) and the stairs of buildings (Fig. 24) can
impart a solid, grounded feeling.
One use of the principle of balance and harmony would be the
juxtaposition of a single large tree on one side of a residential lot with
many smaller trees on the other side of the lot. Even the use of
complimentary colors can provide a balance between the colors (Itten
1970). For example, one part of yellow balances three parts of violet, one
part of orange balances two parts of blue, and one part of red balances
one part of green (for more on this subject, see “Color Basics for
Landscapes,” http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/L-18.pdf).

63. These elements must be
considered in designing both the
hardscape and softscape of the
design.
•Hardscape – walkways,
driveways, patios, walls
•Softscape - gardens, lawns,
shrubs and trees.

64. All good pictures need a focal
point
A well planned landscape is art –
like a picture, and requires a focal
point.
Remember, a landscape is not a
static picture – people will move
throughout it changing the line of
sight, focal points and balance as
they move

65. Focal points may change as
seasons change.
Spring may focus on a bed of
bulbs
Summer might show off a
planting of annual flowers, or
a garden
Fall and winter need
evergreen trees and shrubs
to maintain pleasing design

66. DESIGN PRINCIPLES
POINT
LINE
FORM/ SHAPE/ volume
SPACE
COLOR
TEXTURE

67. POINT
A LANDMARK/ FOCAL POINT DESIGNED IN ANY
LANDSCAPED AREA.
ITS CAN CENTRAL POINT OF WHOLE THEME.

71. LINE
•Line is edge between two materials, outline
or silhouette of form, linier or curvilinear
feature
•Controls movement of eyes and circulation
flow

73. Hedges or rows of plants direct
the attention to a focal point or
specific area
Meandering lines or curves slow
movement and create a natural,
undisturbed feeling.

76. Straight Lines
Straight lines are structural and forceful; they create a formal character, are usually
associated with a symmetrical design, and lead the eye directly to a focal point.
Curved Lines
Curved lines create an informal, natural, relaxed character that is associated more with
nature and asymmetrical balance. Curved lines move the eye at a slower pace and add
mystery to the space by creating hidden views.
Vertical Lines
Vertical lines move the eye up, making a space feel larger. An upward line can
emphasize a feature and has a feeling of activity or movement.
Hortizontal Lines
Horizontal lines move the eye along the ground plane and can make a space feel larger.
Low lines are more subdued and create a feeling of rest or repose. Horizontal lines can
spatially divide a space or tie a space together. Low lines are created by low garden
walls, walkways, and short hedges.
Lines are used to draw forms on a plan.

77. FORM
Shape is created by an outline that encloses a space, and form is the
three-dimensional mass of that shape.
Form is found in both hardscape and plants, and it is typically the
dominant visual element that spatially organizes the landscape and often
determines the style of the garden.
The form of structures, plant beds, and garden ornaments also determines
the overall form theme of the garden. Formal, geometric forms include
circles, squares, and polygons. Informal, naturalistic forms include
meandering lines, organic edges, and fragmented edges.
Plants create form in the garden through their outlines or silhouettes, but
form can also be defined by a void or negative space between plants.

80. Circular Form
Circles can be full circles, or they can be divided into half circles or circle
segments and combined with lines to create arcs and tangents.
Square Form
Squares are used for a variety of features, including stepping stones, bricks,
tiles, and timber structures, because they are an easy form to work with for
construction.
Irregular Polygons
Polygons are many-sided forms with straight edges. Triangles, for example, are
three-sided polygons.
Meandering Lines
Meandering lines often mimic the natural course of rivers or streams and can
be described as smooth lines with deeply curved undulations.

81. Plant Forms
Form is the most enduring quality of a plant. Common plant forms are well
established and standardized, as form is the most consistent and recognizable
characteristic of plants. Form can also be created through the massing of
plants, where the overall mass creates a different form than an individual plant.
Tree Forms
Common tree forms (Figure 6) include round, columnar, oval, pyramidal, vase
shaped, and weeping. Different tree forms are used for visual appeal, but the
form is also important for function.
Shrub Forms
Shrub forms (Figure 7) include upright, vase shaped, arching, mounding,
rounded, spiky, cascading, and irregular.
Groundcover Forms
Groundcover forms (Figure 7) include matting, spreading, clumping, sprawling,
and short spikes. Almost all groundcovers look better in masses because they
are typically small, ground-hugging plants that have very little impact as
individual plants.

86. T H A N K Y O U