The document outlines the essential components and principles of landscape design, focusing on plant display setup, maintenance, and aesthetic considerations. It covers various design elements such as colour, form, texture, and space, along with practical aspects like drainage and shelter requirements. Additionally, it emphasizes design principles such as balance, unity, and simplicity to create visually appealing and functional displays.

1. Set up, maintain, and
dismantle plant displays
Unit 21035

2. Site Constraints
Growing Media
Drainage
Shelter
Sun/Shade

3. Growing Media
Is there growing media on site?
Can media be brought in?
How is the media contained?
Do surfaces need protecting?

4. Drainage
Are there any natural drainage problems?
Where will the irrigation water go?

5. Shelter
Is there shelter from the wind?
Is there shelter from the rain?

6. Sun/Shade
Too sunny?
Too shady?
Do we need to provide shade?
How does this effect plant selection?

7. Types of Display
Permanent planting
Seasonal planting
Staged container plants
Planted in a growing medium
Indoor
Outdoor

8. Display Areas
Permanent beds
Containers
Tiered benches
Hanging baskets

9. Staging
Staging, benches, stands
Growing medium
Supporting structures
Waterproof membranes
Display aids
Rocks, gravels, mulches
Labels, interpretative material
Edging

10. Maintenance
Watering
Picking over
Fertilising
Rotation or replacement of plants
Staking
Pruning
Mulching
Plant health

11. Plant Health
Pests
Diseases
Physiological disorders
Light
Temperature
Water
Draughts/winds

12. Dismantle
Leave the area clean, tidy and ready for
the next use
Transport?

13. Elements of Design
Colour
Form
Texture

14. Principles of Design
Unity/Harmony
Rhythm or line
Balance - Symmetry or Asymmetry
Dominance/Emphasis or Focal Area
Scale
Proportion
Contrast

15. Elements of Design
The elements of design are components or
parts of a design which can be isolated and
defined in any design or work of art.

16. Colour
Primary colours:
Red
Blue
Yellow

17. Colour
Secondary colours:
Orange
Green
Violet
Are a combination of two primary colours

18. Colour
Tertiary colours:
Are a fusion of one primary and one
secondary colour.
Are between the primary and secondary
colours on the colour wheel

19. Colour
Tint:
Tint refers to a light value and is
accomplished by adding white to the pure
colour on the colour wheel

20. Colour
Shade:
Shade is a dark value and is created by
adding black to the pure colour on the colur
wheel.

21. A Colour Wheel
Source: ‘Basic Principles of Landscape Design’
Dewayne L. Ingram

22. Colour Schemes
Colours are combined into colour schemes
for practical applications

23. Colour Schemes
Monochromatic
Analogous
Complementary

24. Colour Schemes
Monochromatic:
A monochromatic colour scheme consists of
different tints and shades of one colour

25. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

26. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

27. Colour Schemes
Analogous:
An analogous colour scheme combines
colours which are side-by-side on the colour
wheel

28. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

29. Colour Schemes
Complementary:
A complementary colour scheme combines
colours directly across the colour wheel

30. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

31. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

32. Colour and Perspective
Warm colours like red, orange and yellow
advance an object towards the observer.
Cool colours recede, and can appear further
away from the observer.

33. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

34. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

35. Colours and Mood
Cool colours are restful
Warm colours suggest action

36. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

37. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

38. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

39. Form
Form can be discussed in terms of individual
plant growth habits or as a the plant
arrangement.

40. Form
Examples:
Upright
Columnar
Spreading
Weeping

41. Form refers to the shape and structure of a plant or mass of
plants
Source: ‘Basic Principles of Landscape Design’
Dewayne L. Ingram

42. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

43. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

44. Space
The character of space around an object can
distract, focus, or alter our impression.
A cluttered background tends to dimish the
importance of the object, while a plain
background draws attention to it.

45. Texture
Texture describes the surface quality of an
object that can be seen or felt.

46. Texture
Examples:
Coarse
Medium
Fine
Smooth
Rough
Glossy
Dull

47. Plant Texture
Source: ‘Basic Principles of Landscape Design’
Dewayne L. Ingram

48. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

49. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

50. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

51. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

52. Principles of Design
The principles of design are concepts used
to organise the elements of design.

53. Contrast
Contrast adds interest and can be achieved
using various design elements
Examples
Colour
Form
Texture

54. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

55. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

56. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

57. Rhythm
Rhythm is achieved when the elements of
design create a feeling of motion which
leads the viewer’s eye through the design.
Examples:
Colour
Line
Form

58. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

59. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

60. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

61. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

62. Rhythm
As a creator of a plant display you will be
able to evoke a feeling of ordered rhythm
and purpose when the same theme, feature
or pattern is repeated in a design.

63. Line
Line is related to eye movement or flow.
Line is also created vertically by changes in plant
height.
Straight lines tend to be forceful and direct the eye to a
point faster than curved lines.
Curved or free-flowing lines are graceful and gentle,
creating a relaxing more natural feeling.

64. Line is created by the way that plants fit or flow together
Source: ‘Basic Principles of Landscape Design’
Dewayne L. Ingram

65. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

66. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

67. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

68. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

69. Balance
Balance refers to the balance of visual
attraction.
Symmetrical balance is achieved when one
side of the design is a mirror image of the
other side.
Asymetrical balance uses different design
elements to balance visual attraction

70. Balance refers to equilibrium or equity of visual attraction
Source: ‘Basic Principles of Landscape Design’
Dewayne L. Ingram

71. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

72. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

73. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

74. Scale
Scale refers to the size of the design in
relation to the surroundings.

75. The size of plantings compared to human scale must be
considered
Source: ‘Basic Principles of Landscape Design’
Dewayne L. Ingram

76. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

77. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

78. Proportion
Proportion refers to the size of parts the
design in relation to each other and to the
design as a whole.

79. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

80. One large tree may compliment an office building but dwarf
a single storey house
Source: ‘Basic Principles of Landscape Design’
Dewayne L. Ingram

81. Focal Area and Emphasis
Focal Area or Focalisation involves leading of
visual observation towards a feature by
placement of this feature at the vanisihing
point between lines.
Straight lines create stonger focalisation
than curved lines.

82. Straight lines create strong focalisation when compared to
curved lines
Source: ‘Basic Principles of Landscape Design’
Dewayne L. Ingram

83. Emphasis (top) or Focalise (bottom)
Source: ‘Basic Principles of Landscape Design’
Dewayne L. Ingram

84. Repetition
Repetition refers to the repeated use of
features like plant or objects that share an
identical shape, line, form, color, and
texture.
If it is used well it will give a sense of unity.

85. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

86. Repetition
Using too much repetition may create a
sense of monotony.
Too much variety in a display will create a
cluttered,busy feel which is not relaxing.

87. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

88. Sequence
Sequence is the repetition of similar but not
identical plants, surfaces, colour or objects
used in a display.

89. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

90. Simplicity
Simplicity compliments repetition and is
best achieved by getting rid of unnecessary
detail.

91. Simplicity
If a design contains too much detail or
variety then it will evoke a feeling of
confusion.
If a designer can reduce a display to a
simple yet functional and attractive design
then the objective is fulfilled.

92. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

93. Unity
Unity is the underlying principle that
summarises all of the principles and
elements of design.

94. Unity
Unity is obtained by the effective use of
components in a design to express a main
idea through consistent style.
Everything selected for a design must
complement the central scheme and must,
above all, serve some functional purpose.

95. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

96. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

97. Photo courtesy of Kim Thomas

98. References
‘Basic Principles of Landscape Design’
Ingram, D.L.
‘Art, Design, and Visual thinking’
Cornell University