Basic Design Principles that can be Applied When Landscaping in NJ
May 23rd, 2014 | By: Mitchell Knapp | Blog
Blog
When planning a NJ landscaping project or discussing it with a professional landscaping company, such as Scenic Landscaping, use the following design principles to aid you in your quest for the perfect garden:
• Line is, perhaps, the most basic of design principles that can be applied to landscape design. Lines can be straight or curved, horizontal or vertical, and run in different directions. It directs the eyes along their path and, when used correctly, can be used to draw the viewer’s attention to certain parts of the landscape.
• Color is the main proponent of drama in a landscape. Using different mixes allows a landscape to evoke different feelings in people.
• Transition creates a sense of spatial flow and can be introduced as either a sharp or gradual transition. Sharp transitions, such as garden portals, walls, and steps, signal an abrupt change in the character of the landscape, while gradual transitions, such as slopes, slow increases in foliage height, and borderless lawns seamlessly blend one part of a garden into another.
• Achieving correct proportion involves taking into account the scale of each object in a landscape scene. Too many large objects can make a landscape feel overbearing. On the other hand, too many small things can make a garden feel diminished and small.
• Similar to proportion, balance addresses relationship of visual weight on opposite sides of a scene. The location of these sides is defined by a central axis, which is often dictated by a fixed object, such as a path, doorway, or garden fixture. Balance can be achieved either symmetrically, such as with the formal gardens of Europe, or asymmetrically, such as by balancing one large object on one side of the scene with numerous smaller objects on the other.
• Finally, there is unity, the end result that is achieved through the right mix of design. It describes that sense of wholeness evoked by the landscape, a feeling that each part of the garden correlates to another in some magical and mysterious way.
Finally, remember that the quest for the perfect garden is a continuing one. Just as plants grow and eventually die out, so, too, does each person’s idea of the ideal garden evolve with time. A good understanding of basic design principles can not only help you better communicate your vision for a perfect garden when working with NJ landscape design professionals, like Scenic Landscaping, it can also help you as you cultivate that vision in the future.
(Source: The Elements of Good Garden Design, Better Homes and Gardens)
