Principles of Landscape Design - Design Ideas and Inspiration!

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

The principles of design are applicable to all design disciplines including - but not exclusive to - architecture, art, graphics, fashion, industrial design, poetry, writing, and web design.

The principles of design are used to format the elements of the design.

1. UNITY

Unity is the main goal in landscape design. It may be better understood and applied as consistency and repetition. Repetition creates unity by repeating alike elements like plants, plant groups, or decor throughout the landscape.

Consistency creates unity in the sense that all the different elements of the landscape fit together to create a whole.

A simple way to create unity in your landscape is by creating themes. One of the simplest ways to create themes is by using a little hardscape in your garden décor.

Unity should be expressed through all elements in your landscape. Using elements to express a main idea through consistent style and a specific theme is what creates harmony.

2. BALANCE

Balance refers to equality or equilibrium of visual attraction. There are two basic types of balance in landscape design. Symmetrical and Asymmetrical.

Symmetrical balance is where one side of the garden design is the same as the other. With the garden equally divided, both sides share the same shape, form, plant height, plant groupings, colors, bed shapes, theme, etc.

Asymmetrical balance is more complex. It uses different forms, colors and textures to obtain balance of visual attraction. This form of balance may come across as separate themes with each having an equal but different type of balance.

3. TRANSITION

Transition is gradual change.  Achieved by the arrangement of objects with varying textures, forms, or sizes in a logical sequential order.

Transition is one of the principles of landscape design that can be used to "create illusions" in the landscape. For example a transition from taller to shorter plants can give a sense of depth and distance (like in a painting), making the garden seem larger than it really is.

Transition refers to the 3-dimensional perspective of composition, not just the flat or facial view.

4. PROPORTION

Proportion refers to the size of design elements in relation to each other and to the design as a whole. Most of the elements in landscape design should be intentionally planned to meet the proper proportions.

5. RHYTHM

A recurrence or repetition of one or more design tools within a visual format creating a feeling of motion.  Motion leads the viewer’s eye through the designed area creating harmony.  Rhythm reduces visual confusion in the design.

Tools like color schemes, line and form aid in creating rhythm–the illusion of motion.

6. REPETITION

Repetition is directly related to unity. It’s good to have a variety of elements and forms in the garden but repeating these elements gives variety expression.
Unity can be achieved best by no other means than repetition. Too many unrelated objects can make the garden look cluttered and unplanned.

There's a fine line here. It's possible that too much of one element can make a garden or landscape feel uninteresting, boring and monotonous.

7. CONTRAST

Another method to avoid monotony is to use the principle of contrast in a design. By contrasting or breaking from surrounding objects, colors, textures, etc., a designer can add to the overall mood and visual vitality of a landscape project.

As a landscape designer, you are always thinking on two levels at once when you are designing a landscape.  You are thinking of the materials and plants you want to use and grow; and secondly the scene they will create. 

The following design tools enable you to use and manipulate the design principals to achieve a strong design using those plants and hardscape elements to create the scene.  

DESIGN ELEMENTS

1. COLOR

Color adds dimension and interest to the landscape. Bright colors like orange seem to advance toward you and can actually make an object seem closer to you. Cool colors like blues seem to move away from you and can make an object seem farther from you. Grays, blacks, and whites are considered neutral colors and are best used in the background with bright colors in the foreground.

Colors can also be used to direct your attention to a specific area of the garden. A bright display among cooler colors would naturally catch the eye.

When choosing a hardscape material like stone or wood, color is an important design element to be used as a tool to manipulate your design principals.

2. LINE

Line creates a sense of dimension such as length, width, and height. It can also create a sense of movement or direction. Line is one of the more structural principles of landscape design. In the overall landscape, line is often inferred horizontally by bed arrangement and the way the beds fit or flow together. Line is created vertically by buildings, hardscape elements, height changes in plant, tree and shrub canopies.

Straight lines are forceful, structural and stable.  They direct the viewer’s eye faster than curved lines.

Curved or free flowing lines have a more natural, gentle, flowing effect and tend to create a relaxing natural atmosphere.

A good designer will consider the major lines of buildings such as the ground line where the building meets, the ground surface or other hard surfaces, the eave line or roof overhang, the roof line, whether low, flat, tall, steep, or angular, and the window pattern and the repetition of window sizes and locations.

3. FORM

Form and Line are closely related, however, form is more encompassing.  The concept of form is related 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.

Form is basically the shape and structure of a plant or mass of plants.

Structures and hardscape also have form and should be considered when designing the area around them.

4. TEXTURE

Texture describes the surface area of an object that can be seen or felt.  Surfaces in the landscape include buildings, walks, patios, groundcovers, and plants.

Texture has several variables. 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 or dull.

5. SCALE

Scale refers to the size of an object in relation to its surrounding.  Size refers to definite measurements while scale describes the size relationship between adjacent objects.  The size of plantings and buildings compared on the human scale should always be considered.

WINNING COMBINATIONS

“While artists begin a painting with a blank canvas or slate, gardeners start with a canvas already full of existing elements such as the house, driveway, fences, grass, trees and shrubs.”

P Allen Smith Colors for the Garden

Color adds dimension and interest to the landscape.

When using color always remember:

• Colors can also be used to direct your attention to a specific area of
• The garden. A bright display among cooler colors would naturally catch the eye.
• Colors evokes moods in the garden.
• The quality of light (dim or strong) changes the way a color appears.
• The way in which a plant presents its color is also a very important consideration when making a selection.
• The value and color in foliage should not be underestimated.
• The relationship that colors have to each other
• The most important reason to use color in the garden is the pleasure it can give

NEUTRAL COLORS

Neutral colors green, brown, black, white and gray

WARM COLORS

Warm colors are red, orange, and apricot, yellow

For our purposes in the garden think of colors as neutral colors, warm colors or cool colors

COOL COLORS

Cool colors are blue, pink, and purple, magenta

DESIGN IDEAS AND INSPIRATION

Too often landscape designers do not include any or enough hardscape. A good designer knows that hardscape enriches and adds value to their landscape design using plants appropriately.

Try using an architectural element or hardscape before you use a plant or as a substitute for a plant.  For instance, can you substitute gravel for a ground cover.  Can stone as a ground cover/patio offer a stronger solution than plant material?

The ideas for hardscape come from all around us everyday, keep your eyes open for places and ideas you can incorporate into your designs.

DESIGNING VERTICAL ELEMENTS

Vertical elements are important in the landscape.  They become the “walls” of our outdoor rooms.  They couple with plants to form the edges and boundaries of outdoor living spaces or provide barriers between spaces such as two properties.

Trellises can be artistic expressions of the landscape concept you are creating as well as offering a planting solution for a narrow space by allowing the use of a vine. 

A trellis or vertical element can also become the focal point in the landscape where there is a lack of room for another focal point, such as a tree or large flowering shrub.

Trellises allow for ease of maintenance for vines and keep them off fences or structures where they might damage wood, paint or brick.

Vertical elements can be built of almost any materials from wood and metal to brick, stone and even glass. 

DESIGNING WATER FEATURES

Planning is the key to any successful project.  To include moving water in your backyard, consider the following questions:  

What Atmosphere do you want to create? 

Water adds a psychological element that can ease the soul.  Your water feature can be what you want it to be, visually and functionally. Water gives you an opportunity to create a sense of mystery in the landscape.  Where is the water coming from? Whether you create a straightforward delivery or a hidden spring water changes the space it’s in.  Water can mask the noise of traffic and the world beyond your haven.  But consider the volume of sound you desire.  Carefully selecting the site of a feature will provide delightful sound from your patio or through the nighttime bedroom window.  If you have neighbors close by, remember they might not welcome the constant rushing of a Niagara Falls all night long.

How much time do you spend in the garden?

 Consider both your lifestyle and your climate. Working in the garden invites gentle, relaxing water sounds.  More active water encourages warm, convivial feelings and sociability.  Louder more visual features can actually be enjoyed from inside the home or building.  Think about maintenance, leaf fall and freezing water.  Even if you don’t have small children, youngsters are naturally attracted to water and plants and living creatures.  Make sure your planning provides safety for all visitors.

How much can you afford to spend for your water feature?

Your budget may determine what your water feature become and if it is installed in phases.     

DESIGNING WITH STONE

Whether your garden is relatively new or fairly old, visually connecting and coordinating the areas of your landscape requires a balance of practical needs and aesthetic goals.  Because stone is such an excellent material for solving practical problems, such as lack of pathways or a slippery slope, it makes sense to first examine how you might use stone to make your garden more accessible and easier to maintain. Do you need a broad landing outside an entryway or a safe corridor to link your house and your garden?

You can use stone by itself or in combination with plants to create floors or walls, define lines and set the mood for the place you want to create.

When you use stone to pave a walkway or to build a low wall, it defines the lines of your landscape.  Lines can lead you to various destinations such as a water feature, flower garden or simply the front door. 

Stone is evocative.  Rounded weathered stone always appears more settled and relaxed than jagged broken pieces.  Pair stone with plants that carry similar messages for a combined effect that can feel so convincing that stepping out into a well designed yard can feel like a journey to a faraway place, or an escape to a very intimate one.