and social behavior. Successful design will express sympathy for the people
who will use it, and it will express a feeling and understanding of use.
Landscape design demands an imaginative ability to devise new and creative
form out of the analysis of the problem and the determinants of form.
Texture - Plants and other elements with varying textures can add to the
atmosphere of your landscaped area.
Scale - Your outdoor design should balance the size of the buildings it surrounds,
while maintaining a comfortable environment for the individuals who will use the
area.
Colour:
Colour variation can best be explained by use of a color wheel. Primary colors
are red, blue and yellow. Orange, green and violet are called secondary colors
because they are combinations of two primary colors. For example, yellow and
red are combined to yield orange. Tertiary colors are the fusion of one primary
and one secondary color. These colors would be between primary and secondary
colors.
Complimentary, Analogous, Contrasting are all the ways in which colour can be
used.
You can use color in a number of ways, including:
Line:
Line is related to eye movement or flow. The concept and creation of line
depends upon the purpose of the design and existing patterns. In the overall
landscape, line is inferred by arrangement of elements and the way these
elements fit or flow together. Line is also created vertically by changes in plant
height and the height of tree and shrub canopies. Line in a small area such as an
entrance or privacy garden can be created by branching habits of plants,
arrangement of leaves and/or sequence of plant materials.
Line and linear flow can be created many different ways:
Straight lines, like paved edges or hedge rows, encourages movement
and directs attention to a focal point.
Curves and natural linear patterns invite lingering and free movement.
Arrangements and design of planting beds and natural areas defines the
overall linear style of the landscape.
Vertical lines of your outdoor design can be enhanced by altering the
height of plants and trees.
Form
Form and line are closely related. Line is considered usually in terms of the
outline or edge of objects, whereas form is more encompassing. The concept of
form is related also to the size of an object or area. Form can be discussed in
terms of individual plant growth habits or as the planting arrangement in a
landscape.
Plant forms include upright, oval, columnar, spreading, broad spreading,
weeping, etc. Form is basically the shape and structure of a plant or mass of
plants. Structures also have form and should be considered as such when
designing the area around them.
The shape and form of the trees and plants you select are also important
elements of your landscape design. Trees may have an upright growth form that
allows placement near structures.
While spreading trees, like the banyan, they are best planted in an open location
and are ideal shade providers. drooping forms, like that of the weeping willow,
are excellent accent shapes.
Shrubbery forms are typically defined by the plants growth pattern. Oval or
rounded shrubs are often planted in the front of the property to provide a uniform,
symmetrical appearance.
Texture
Scale:
Texture describes the surface quality of an object than can be seen or felt.
Surfaces in the landscape includes buildings, walks, patios, groundcovers and
plants. The texture of plants differs as the relationships between the leaves, twigs
and branches differ. Coarse, medium or fine could be used to describe texture
but so could smooth, rough, glossy or dull.
The look and feel of the plants and materials in your landscape design can be
just as influential as the color schemes.
Tree bark may be rough or smooth, grass may be thick or extremely fine, and
plants may have smooth, glossy leaves or sharp, prickly leaves.
The key to effective use of texture is creating a balance between various plant
qualities in the yard.
A large amount of smooth, fine materials should be used to balance coarse
textured plants and trees.
One could gradually move through similar textures in your design for a smooth
transition into each new texture.
Form Development:
Logic / Geometric Forms as guiding themes
Geometric Forms:
90degree: Rectangular or Square Themes
Angular Themes
45/90 degree Angular theme
30/60 degree Angular Theme
Circular Themes
Concentric Circles and Radii
Arc Tangents
Circle Segments
Spiral Themes
Naturalistic Forms
Shapes may appear erratic, whimsical and random but will likely have more
appeal to the intuitive side of the user, for example:
A sense of ecologically sensitive design
Feeling of a more naturalistic setting as the connection to nature is more
These forms may be imitations, abstractions or analogous of nature, eg:
-The Meander
-The free Ellipse and Scallops
-The Free spiral
- Irregular Polygon
-The organic edge
-Clustering and Fragmentation
Examples:
Gaudi in his Park Guell, Barcelona
Martha Schwartz, Environmental Art, new Landscape
PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
Color, line, form, texture and scale are tools which are used in combinations to
accommodate some key design principles.
These design principles include:
unity, balance, transition, focalization, proportion, rhythm, repetition and
simplicity.
All these principles interact to yield the intended design.
Here, the elements of landscaping come together to develop a garden design
that is not only attractive and inviting but is also balanced, providing a unified
appearance between the indoors and the outdoors.
Balance
Balance in design refers to the equilibrium or equality of visual attraction.
Symmetrical balance is achieved when one side of the design is a mirror image
of the other side. There is a distinct dividing line between the two sides. Equal
lines, forms, textures or colors are on each side of a symmetrical design.
Transition
Transition is gradual change. Transition in color can be illustrated by the radial
sequence on the color wheel (monochromatic color scheme) previously
discussed. Transition can be obtained by the arrangement of objects with varying
textures, forms, or sizes in a logical sequential order. For example, coarse to
medium to fine textures, round to oval to linear structural forms, or cylindrical to
globular to prostrate plants. An unlimited number of schemes exist by combining
elements of various size, form, texture and color to create transition. Remember,
transition refers to the 3-dimensional perspective of composition, not just the flat
or facial view.
Proportion
Proportion refers to the size of parts of the design in relation to each other and to
the design as a whole. One large towering oak may compliment an office building
but would probably dwarf a single story residence. A three-foot pool would be lost
in a large open lawn but would fit beautifully into a small private area. And of
course, a colossal fountain would dominate a private garden but could enhance a
large city plaza.
Rhythm
Rhythm is achieved when the elements of a design create a feeling of motion
which leads the viewer's eye through or even beyond the designed area. Tools
like color schemes, line and form can be repeated to attain rhythm in landscape
design. Rhythm reduces confusion in the design.
Focalization
Focalization involves the leading of visual observation toward a feature by
placement of this feature at the vanishing point between radial or approaching
lines. Straight radial lines create a strong focalization when compared to curved
lines. The viewer's eye is quickly forced along straight lines to a focal point.
Generally, weaker or flowing lines of focalization are desirable in the residential
landscape. Transition of plants or other objects along these lines can strengthen
or weaken the focalization. Curved lines are stronger when curved toward each
other than when curved outward. Indirect focalization is created by lines curved
in the same direction. Focalization can be adjusted by plant materials along the
lines to create symmetrical or asymmetrical focalization. Asymmetrical
focalization is indirect while symmetrical focalization is more direct, creating
stronger focalization.
Repetition
Repetition refers to the repeated use of features like plants with identical shape,
line, form, texture and/or color. Too much repetition creates monotony but when
used effectively can lead to rhythm, focalization or emphasis. Unity can be
achieved better by no other means than repetition. Think of repetition as not
having too much variety in the design which creates a cluttered or busy
appearance.