10 Key Principles of Landscaping

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Landscaping increases property value, reduces energy costs, and provides a healthy outdoor environment. It also enhances biodiversity and improves local air quality.

Creating variety in the landscape through diversity of form, color, texture and repetition adds depth and intrigue to the design (Figure 19-25). Lines are also important in directing the eye throughout the landscape. Visit our Website to learn more.

Form is the three-dimensional qualities of a landscape — the shapes of flowerbeds, ponds and facets of architecture are important in creating interesting lines. Landscape designers also consider the lines that carry the eye through a landscape, affecting how people respond emotionally and physically to a space. For example, straight lines have a formal character and direct the eye toward a focal point. Conversely, curved lines create a more natural and relaxed character.

In landscaping, shape is often used interchangeably with form, although there is a distinction between the two. While shape describes the flat silhouette of a plant, its form is its enduring characteristics. For example, a shrub may grow in a round or vase shape but its form is the way the plant grows over time. Grouping plants or structures together can impact their appearance as well, turning them into larger forms that draw the eye. For example, a circular driveway can be visually expanded by surrounding the driveway with low plants or structures, such as flowerbeds and boulders.

Color is another design element that can change how people respond to a space, especially when it’s combined with other elements of composition like line and texture. For instance, the bright sunlight of summer makes colors seem more saturated and intense while filtered light in winter can make them appear less vibrant. In landscape design, colors can also be manipulated by varying lighting or adding textures.

Functionality is a key factor when designing landscapes, as it ensures that the landscape meets a practical purpose. For example, a public park might have shaded seating areas to reduce sun exposure or drought-tolerant plantings to reduce water consumption. Alternatively, a rain garden can be incorporated to manage stormwater and reduce stress on local wastewater systems.

While function is essential, form is what gives a landscape its emotional resonance. Landscapes that prioritize form are more appealing because they evoke feelings and emotions when people interact with them. In a residential landscape, for example, rounded and natural forms can soften the edges of hardscaped surfaces or outdoor structures, while angular forms add order to the space and introduce visual mass.

Color

Color is one of the strongest design elements, grabbing attention and guiding the eye. It can help to evoke specific emotions, make smaller spaces appear larger or unify different areas of the landscape. When designing a landscape, it’s important to consider which colors go well together, how to repeat them to balance and look harmonious and what the best way is to introduce seasonal variations into your palette.

It’s also essential to understand how light affects the color of your landscape. Shades and tints of the same color can have a dramatically different effect depending on how much light they receive. In general, things that receive a lot of direct sunlight will be brighter and more saturated while those in the shadows will be darker and less saturated.

When choosing a color scheme, it’s a good idea to begin with a base palette that contains the basic colors you’ll need for your landscape. These include titanium white, ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow and burnt sienna. Once you’ve established your base, you can start to introduce custom colors that resonate with your style.

Some of the most popular landscape colors are warm reds and oranges that evoke excitement and warmth, while cool greens and blues offer tranquility. Another option is a monochromatic color scheme, which uses shades and tints of the same color for a cohesive look that still allows room for creativity. For example, a shady woodland garden could include varying shades of green and accent the plants with purple flowers such as hydrangeas and black eyed susans.

Lastly, a riotous color scheme is bold and dramatic and can be used to create focal points in the landscape. It’s a great idea to use this type of scheme sparingly because too many colors can quickly overwhelm and create a chaotic feel.

It’s also important to remember that it takes time to master the skill of choosing the right color for a particular landscape. To do so, it’s a good idea to spend some time observing natural landscapes and how the light effects them, how colors change with the seasons and how different textures are combined.

Texture

Landscape designers use texture to add depth, interest and a tactile dimension to a garden. It is one of the ten key principles and can be created using plants, rocks, mulch, grasses, shrubs and even hardscape elements like fencing or flagstone. It is important to balance the use of textures throughout a landscape because too much of any one will overwhelm the visual impact.

Texture encompasses the roughness or fineness of a plant’s leaves, the thickness of its stems and branches and its overall density. It is also determined by color and the overall appearance of a plant, with bold colors creating contrast and finer hues blending into their surroundings. The shape of a plant’s leaves or twigs can also create its texture, with broad leaves adding a coarse feeling and narrow ones creating a more refined look. Texture can also be determined by the size of a plant, with larger plants appearing coarser and smaller ones having a finer appearance.

The perception of a landscape’s texture can also change depending on the viewer’s distance from it. Close-up, coarse textured plants may appear to be fine if the surrounding landscape is composed of rough rock and bold timbers, while coarse foliage can blend in with a medium textured garden when planted among shrubs that have large leaved flowers and rounded forms.

In addition, a landscape’s texture changes with the season. Rough bark on a tree or shrub creates a different visual texture in winter than the lush green of a summer garden. In addition, the rough texture of a rock or retaining wall can be appealing in the winter when it is covered with frost and snow, while soft mulches and frosted berries provide a subtle contrast.

Ultimately, the textures of your landscape should match the aesthetic of your home and fit with your maintenance capabilities. A predominantly coarse-textured garden can become overbearing in a small space, while a finely textured landscape may not stand out against the backdrop of a large stone or wood home. By incorporating the right textures into your landscape, you can ensure that it is visually stimulating and enjoyable throughout the year.

Lighting

A well-lit landscape adds safety, extends outdoor living spaces and provides a beautiful focal point. Whether you’re designing a new space or renovating an old one, think about the addition of landscaping lighting early in the planning stages. It will help keep costs down in the long run and prevent costly changes later on.

The right landscape lighting can highlight a garden trellis, water feature or a statue, drawing the eye where you want it to go and adding drama at night. You can use various techniques to achieve this, such as uplighting, which shines light upward on an object to create dramatic visuals, or silhouetting, which uses low lighting angled down to wash the subject in soft light.

Lines are another important consideration in a landscape design, establishing a sense of direction and creating focal points with landscape objects like garden beds and water features. Using lines to guide the eye through your space can also draw attention to key features, and make way for seating areas where guests can relax.

As you plan your landscape, choose a style theme to guide the selection of plants and other elements. Themes can be as simple as a color palette or as complex as a specific architectural style, such as French, Italian or English gardens. You can also choose a planting style such as meadow, woodland or seaside to create a natural feel to your space.

The type of landscape lighting you choose will depend on the areas you wish to illuminate, and the types of fixtures that best suit your design scheme. Lighting fixtures are available in a range of styles, from classic to modern, and can be integrated with smart home systems for added convenience. Energy efficiency, sustainability and integration with your landscape and home are other factors that influence your choice.

While it’s possible to DIY the installation of some types of landscape lighting, most projects require a professional. Wired lighting needs to be connected to your electrical system and will likely require cutting into soffits, which is better left to a pro. And any landscaping lighting near or around water features will need to be installed by a pro, as electricity and water don’t mix well.

How Landscaping Can Enhance Your Home Or Yard

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A beautiful landscape enhances the value of a property. For many homeowners it is a source of pride and joy.

Landscaping

Landscaping Greensboro NC encompasses a wide variety of tasks that include design, installation and maintenance of outdoor areas. A well designed landscape should reflect lifestyle needs and be functional throughout the seasons.

Landscape plantings (flowers, shrubs, trees and ground cover) are the building blocks of a well designed landscape. They provide the color and texture that give a landscape its appeal. They can also create the privacy screens and focal points that define spaces.

Plantings are a key to creating a sense of place in any landscape design and can be used to solve specific landscaping problems. For example, evergreen hedges can screen unsightly views, fibrous-rooted plants like willow and bamboo can solve erosion problems on sloping sites, and deciduous trees planted along southern and western aspects of homes can provide shade to lower cooling costs in summer and allow sunlight to warm buildings in winter.

When properly installed, trees and their roots can also improve the quality of air in a surrounding environment. By absorbing pollutants through their leaves and root systems, they release clean oxygen back into the air. This is particularly beneficial in urban environments where pollution levels are usually higher.

Well-maintained and healthy plantings increase a home’s resale value and provide curb appeal as well as health and wellness benefits for occupants. Similarly, businesses that have well-planned and cared-for plantings are perceived as more reputable and stable by customers and potential employees.

Landscape plantings also offer natural habitats for a variety of wildlife. Trees and their foliage offer perches for birds and squirrels while their branches and trunks provide shelter, food, water and shade. Well-planned and maintained plantings can also enhance a property’s security by creating visual barriers for unwanted visitors while increasing visibility in areas where safety lighting and security cameras may be located.

Landscaping pros know how and when to plant each type of planting to ensure that it will thrive. They also take into account mature size and growth rate when selecting and spacing plants. Plants that are planted too close together can outgrow their space, interfere with walkways or sidewalks and block views of buildings or parking lots. They are also prone to growing into or snagging overhead wires. Plantings planted in the wrong locations can also become a liability for your business, posing safety risks to pedestrians or blocking access to fire escapes and emergency exits.

Hardscape

Luscious gardens and pristine lawns are great, but a landscape isn’t complete without hardscape elements. Hardscape encompasses all non-horticultural portions of a garden or yard, and is comprised of materials like stone, wood, concrete, pavers and other man-made objects. These are used to create walkways, pathways, walls, patios, grill surrounds and pergolas. Hardscape can also be utilized in garden beds to add interest and accentuate plants.

Unlike softscape elements, which are subject to regular upkeep and must be watered, weeded and pruned regularly, hardscape features provide more structural value to the property. They are durable, long-lasting and add visual appeal to the landscape, blending in with natural areas and accenting existing structures and features. Hardscapes are also an important part of commercial landscaping. The right hardscaping design allows for efficient flow of people and equipment throughout the property while also protecting and enhancing the appearance of the building and surrounding grounds.

The importance of hardscape in landscaping cannot be overstated. It can be used in a variety of ways, from building stone paths to reduce erosion and keep grass from being overtaken by mulched areas, to creating walkways that allow people to safely traverse a steep hillside or other area that would otherwise be impassable. It can also be used to outline garden beds and reduce the cost of edging annually, and to create focal points that add interest to the landscape when illuminated at night.

Incorporating hardscape into the overall landscape design helps to maximize usable space for homeowners and their guests. Outdoor kitchens, seating areas, fire pits, pergolas and other hardscape features increase the amount of living space on a property by connecting indoor and outdoor spaces. Additionally, hardscapes can help to increase property values by adding curb appeal and function.

The best way to determine the ideal hardscape for your property is to consult with a professional. Experienced landscapers are familiar with the different considerations that must be made when designing a hardscape, and can help you achieve the aesthetic you want while maintaining proper function. They can guide you through the many options available, ranging from natural elements to pre-fabricated interlocking blocks and even poured-in-place concrete.

Lighting

Landscape lighting can take your beautiful outdoor space beyond the daytime and make it a place to enjoy long after the sun goes down. Lights can be incorporated throughout your flower beds to show off the colors of your flowers, or they could be positioned around patios and decks so you can host night-time dinner parties and get togethers with friends. Lighting can also be used to highlight special features in your home or yard, like a water feature, sculpture, or tree.

Illuminated walkways and steps make it safe for you, your family, and guests to walk the property after dark. Likewise, lights can help deter criminal activity by making it more difficult for intruders to navigate your property undetected.

By highlighting the unique features of your property, landscape lighting can add a sense of drama and intrigue. It can even help set your house apart from the others on the block, which will be an important selling point when it comes time to move.

Landscape lighting shows that you value the beauty of your outdoor space and want to preserve it for years to come. It’s also an investment that increases the value of your property, which will benefit you down the road when you decide to sell.

Incorporating landscape lighting into your design is a great way to show off your creativity and add an extra dimension to your outdoor space. For example, by using sequence, you can create a gradual transition in the size, shape, and texture of your plants. Abrupt changes in these elements tend to look unnatural and should be avoided.

A professional installation will ensure that the lights are properly aimed and are easy to use, so you don’t have to spend all your time worrying about how to turn them on or off. Many lighting options can be controlled remotely from your smartphone, which makes it even easier to manage and keep your backyard looking its best. They can be programmed to switch on automatically at a specific time, or you can choose to manually control them as needed.

Maintenance

Landscapes are not only meant to look beautiful, they also serve functional purposes. They can provide a space for outdoor activities, enhance community well-being, improve property value, and provide an environment for relaxation and respite from the noise and stress of everyday life. To make sure that these benefits are maximized, it’s important to invest in regular maintenance.

Landscape maintenance includes a variety of tasks like mowing, trimming, fertilizing, and pest control, as well as managing any outdoor structures or fixtures. It also includes weeding, irrigation monitoring, and seasonal care such as pruning and planting. In addition, routine maintenance helps to keep plants healthy by addressing any issues like disease or pest infestation before they become more serious problems.

Proper landscaping maintenance will also help to minimize water and energy waste by ensuring that irrigation systems are functioning properly, avoiding overwatering or under-watering. In addition, regular plant health checks will ensure that plants are receiving the right amount of sunlight and nutrients to grow well.

A well-maintained landscape not only looks good, but it’s also easier to maintain and can improve the quality of life in a community. Studies have shown that communities with ample greenery see a boost in physical activity among residents, lower stress levels, and more social interaction. Additionally, green spaces have been shown to help improve air quality and reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses.

Landscaping maintenance should not be done in a reactive manner, but instead should be planned ahead of time to prevent costly repairs and renovations. This can be accomplished by creating a maintenance schedule and setting goals for each season. This will help to avoid over- or underwatering, nutrient depletion, and other common landscape challenges.

When choosing a vendor for your landscape maintenance, it is critical to select one that understands the needs of your community and can deliver consistent results. To do this, you must first know what to look for in a landscape maintenance partner, including the services they offer, their experience, and how they communicate with your community.