Basics of Landscape Design
George W. Vanderbilt knew exactly how to design the ultimate
landscape at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC—hire Frederick Law
Olmsted, the father of landscape architecture in America to do
it. While it’s unlikely that the average homeowner has the
resources to hire one of the world’s best landscape designers to
makeover their front yard, it is possible to come up with a
basic plan that will meet most needs.
When you begin planning your new landscape, you’ll want to begin
by thinking about how the space is going to be used. Do you have
children who need a play area? Do you have pets that might
damage plants? Would you like to entertain outdoors? Once you’ve
decided how you will primarily use the landscape, consider the
basic elements of landscape design and how they apply to your
needs.
Balance – There are two types of balance—symmetrical and
asymmetrical. If you choose symmetrical balance, each side of
your landscape will basically reflect the other in shape, form,
plant height, color, etc. An excellent example of this is
Biltmore’s Walled Garden with its central arbor effectively
dividing the garden into two equal halves with matching beds and
borders. Asymmetrical balance gives each side of the landscape
the same visual weight, but by using contrasting elements. While
each side will be different, they should “match” in the sense
that a group of trees on the left is balanced by a gazebo on the
right or a curvy flower bed on one side is balanced by a walkway
and bench on the other. Stroll through the estate’s Shrub Garden
for a good example of asymmetrical balance Color – Varying color
combinations can be used to set the mood in your garden. Bright,
fiery colors like red, yellow and orange make a garden seem
lively and warm—or even hot. Cool or pale colors like green,
blue, pink and white are more soothing and make a garden seem
quieter and cooler. Dark plants or tree trunks work well as
backdrops to set off brighter colors. Use contrasting colors to
work as a focal point to draw attention to a specific area.
Unity – To create consistency throughout the landscape, repeat
like elements. These may be specific plants or plant groupings,
colors or decorative pieces like statuary. Layering – Throughout
your landscape, you’ll want to gradually move from one element
to another. Rather than planting a bed of pansies around the
base of a large tree—step down with smaller trees, then shrubs,
then bedding plants with those pansies forming a border in front
of the full planting. Proportion – Make sure the plants and
elements you choose suit the available space. If you have a
postage stamp garden, don’t plant an oak tree and try to squeeze
in a pond. Select something delicate like a Japanese maple and a
small fountain. On the other hand, if you’re yard is currently
an acre of grass, a 6′x6′ bed in the center will be completely
lost.
Take the time to sketch out your plan on paper and start small
if you haven’t done this before. Get out that tape measure and
use a garden hose to mark off curved borders or walkways. Now
get out the garden magazines and catalogs and get creative. You
might find it easier to get started if you pick a theme—maybe
specific colors such as yellow, red and white or pick a shady
corner and focus on shade-loving plants or look for plants that
attract butterflies. Again, don’t forget the primary use of this
new garden spot. If the kids will be romping through here with
balls and Frisbees, some sturdy trees and shrubs might be a
better choice than a delicate flower garden. If you’re going to
be entertaining, think about including a patio, deck or other
surface that enhances the house and garden.
Once you have a pretty good idea of what you want, go to your
local garden center and ask for help selecting plants. They can
also look over your plan to make sure you aren’t planting a tree
that will block a window or a shrub that’s going to overgrow the
heat pump. Now get planting!
Modern Landscape Design in Houston Texas
Modernism, in the context of landscape design, is a result of forms and functions that reflect the need for outdoor living spaces that enhance contemporary lifestyles. As Garrett Eckbo, one of the central figures in modern landscape architecture, said, landscape design is the “arrangement of environments for people.”
Contemporary garden design tends to focus on scale as opposed to formal landscape designs that are based on axial relationships. It also foregoes the more classic landscape design forms and larger scale from Greek, Roman, and classical architecture traditions. This design motif became popular in the 1950’s baby boom, particularly in California where weather and lifestyle was very conducive to this innovative style.
In modern landscape design, boundaries between areas of color, textures and shapes are undefined-or conversely, sharply defined. Color and composition create the emotional response. Combining freshness and flair, these designs use dramatic geometric shapes to create a point of view that is fluid and natural. Water and light are often used, as in artfully-lit outdoor water fountains, to enhance the sensual loveliness and liveliness. The designs are arresting, both close up and far away.
Form and Function in Modern Landscape Design
As the maxim says, form follows function. Modern landscape design is an aesthetic that shows only what is necessary while often leaving surfaces exposed. The simplicity of modern design reveals itself in that every form has a function, even when that function is merely to engage the senses.
It is possible, sometimes desirable, to use modern design techniques without creating a high-tech look. That is, to make use of horizontal and vertical planes that manufacture a modern sculpture effect-and let colors and plantings evoke a warm, welcoming feel. It is that juxtaposition-hard and soft, linear and non-linear, energetic and restrained-that is the essence of modern landscape design. “Less is more” is the modern landscape design mantra. A huge plant palette is not necessary. Rather, it is how plants, materials, and textures are used and mass them together that create the contemporary effect.
The architecture of the house needs to be carefully considered when using a contemporary garden design. If the house is bold, the grounds need to be strong also.
The home and landscape can be tied together through selective use of plantings or the intelligent placement of a hardscape feature, such as an organic approach to the front door.
Using Today’s Technology in Your Modern Landscape
Naturally new technologies in building materials are a big component of modern landscape design, which can mean a new approach using old materials or a new approach using new materials. Often, it is the contrast of material usage that suggests modernism.
Concrete, with its sturdiness and malleability, has won a firm place in contemporary garden design. Its cool, gray color alone establishes its credibility. Its uses run the gamut from flooring to columns to stark, amorphous benches. In addition to concrete, advances in steel and glass technologies, plus construction methods, can be even further exploited within the modern landscape design.
Often materials, such as stone, metal, plastics, steel and glass, are left in an exposed or raw state. Part of the beauty of these materials derives from their interplay with nature-the way steel rusts to a warm, burnt look, for instance.
The Spaces of Modern Landscape Design
Landscape themes such as English, Asian, Zen gardens, natural, Japanese or modern identify not only your property but also your tastes and style. Color, form, line, scale, and texture are your means of expressing those landscape design preferences.
Your choices can be demonstrated in the plants and hardscapes you choose. Beauty can be a maple imported from Japan. It can also be the wild grass native to the Texas coastal plains. You may have outdoor works of art to display in your landscape. Or you might use a stream that ends in a waterfall as an ever-changing sculpture of sound and movement. Landscape lighting is another crucial tool of contemporary garden design as it creates ambiance and lets you enjoy your landscape night and day.
Other uses of space in contemporary designs include:
? Outdoor rooms for living. These living areas, in effect, make your home bigger. They also serve to create transition areas that connect the indoor and outdoor spaces. In this regard, this style is similar to a Mediterranean landscape design with its underlying principle that the outdoor living area should be just as enjoyable and functional as the home’s interior.
? Outdoor kitchens. The center of outdoor entertainment, outdoor kitchens provide a natural gathering place. Their design should complement both the house and the landscape. Above all, their design should be functional.
? Luxury swimming pools. When designed from a modern viewpoint, luxury swimming pools are anything but a boring rectangle or kidney-shaped pool. They become sophisticated and exciting, eye-catching and mesmerizing. Often, you can combine them with an outdoor water fountain that eliminates some redundancies while adding vitality to your overall design.
Thoroughly Modern
Modern landscape design is even more appropriate today than it was 50 years ago. Jeff Halper with Exterior Worlds says, “Contemporary garden design has gotten only better with time. With today’s busy lifestyles, there is less time for gardening. Also, we need to use our gardens for multiple functions these days-sanctuary, entertainment, a place for children to play safely. Modern landscape design addresses all these wants and needs.”
Robert Irwin, the landscape architect of the Getty Center in Los Angeles, puts it this way: “…maybe the world is an art form [and] the gardening of our universe” reveals our participation in that work of art.