Landscape design combines horticultural science with artistic composition to create attractive and functional outdoor “rooms” for different uses. The elements and principles of design–proportion, order, repetition, unity–help to connect the spaces harmoniously and balanced. Repetition of a theme can unify the design of your landscape. However, it must be used sparingly to avoid monotony. To learn more, visit Landscaping Harrisburg PA.

Color is one of the most important tricks up a landscape designer’s sleeve and can significantly impact the look and feel of your property. A savvy using color can unify your garden, draw attention to a focal point, and create a sense of place. Color trends may come and go – electric orange was hot this year, but dusky blues will likely be in style next — but the principles of good color design stay the same.

A landscaper will consider something called “color relationships” when choosing a color scheme for their project. These are the combinations of colors that create harmony and balance for a landscape.

For example, colors that are directly across from each other on the color wheel – like yellow and purple or red and blue – are complementary color pairs. They enhance and intensify each other’s hues. Complementary colors can also be used to highlight a specific area of the garden, such as a garden bed or an entryway, or can even draw attention away from an unsightly shed or structure.

Another way to incorporate color in a landscaping design is through a monochromatic color scheme. This involves selecting tints and shades of a single hue to create a visually harmonious palette. The result is a rich, vibrant, and balanced look that allows for the greatest amount of creativity.

Flowers, shrubs and trees all provide beautiful bursts of color to a landscape. These blooms naturally attract pollinators, but they can be used to highlight other parts of the garden as well.

Form

When planning your landscape, you have to think about the form that the design will take. This will influence the overall layout of your landscape, determining how it is used. It also determines the style of your landscape. Geometric designs use clean lines and more organized forms – neatly carved out flowerbeds, square hedges and walkways that run at sharp or right angles. Freeform designs use more organic shapes and forms – winding walkways, meandering lines in trees and shrubs and retaining walls that follow the natural contour of the land.

The form of plants and their general shape is another important aspect of landscaping. Plants have a characteristic shape that is determined by genetics and environment. This can be manipulated in the landscape by pruning, removing or simply choosing the plant that best fits the space you have to work with. For example, a round tree can soften the appearance of a hardscaped area or outdoor structure and introduce visual weight. Rounded plant forms can balance the straight lines of a home’s architecture or add interest to a boring front yard.

Lines are also important in landscape design, determining movement and pacing in the garden. These can be actual lines, such as the edges of planting beds or sidewalks, or implied lines that are created by the shape and placement of plants. Lines can be horizontal, vertical or curvilinear.

Another element of form is proportion – how things fit together in the landscape. This can be achieved symmetrically or asymmetrically, depending on the overall feel you want to achieve. The size of plants, retaining walls and other features should be balanced so they are not too big or too small for the space they are in.

Line

Unlike mass and form, line tends to be overlooked by the novice landscaper. However, it is one of the most important elements in a design because it controls movement and defines space.

Line can take various forms including straight, curved and horizontal and is created by the edge of plant material or hardscape materials such as pavers and gravel. It can be accentuated by using color or texture. Straight lines tend to be more formal while curved lines can create an organic feel. Lines can also be used to highlight a design feature such as a garden path or a statue.

Scale or proportion is another important landscape design principle. A balanced scale can be achieved by combining large and small plants or by adding repetition of shapes, textures and colors. A design should also be adapted to the site conditions. For example, mountain landscapes require a different mix of vegetation than sea-level gardens due to harsh weather and lack of protection for plants.

Unity, the linkage of the various design elements, is also an important concept in landscaping. This is achieved by repeating the same elements or by connecting them with a common element such as line. A landscape with a variety of features needs some repetition to tie it together, but too much repetition can lead to monotony and confusion.

Texture can be created by adding a combination of plants and hardscape materials that display the same characteristics such as roughness, smoothness, lightness or heaviness. It is also possible to add texture by incorporating the different layers of a plant, its leaves, branches or bark. The different textures of the various components of a design can add interest and complexity to the overall appearance of the landscape.

Texture

Using plants that offer a wide variety of textures helps create an interesting landscape. Texture refers to a plant’s feel, but it also involves how the plant interacts with light and shadow. For example, coarse textured foliage offers a shady appearance while fine textured plants tend to cast a light, more uniform pattern of shade on the surrounding ground.

The visual importance of texture is evident in a landscaping design when a garden’s overall mood and feeling are created through the use of colors, form and line, but it is especially noticeable in the way that the landscape’s textures work to define its character. For example, a landscape theme may be achieved through the use of foliage, flowers and construction hardscapes that offer a rustic, cottage, cottage-type or formal look.

Texture is primarily a visual element, but it is important to offer diversity in your landscaping design to prevent a garden from being overly unified and dull. For instance, mixing flowers with a combination of warm and cool hues can provide contrast while still creating a cohesive color scheme. Likewise, the structurally distinct shapes of different trees offer a variety of textures to the landscape. From the globular shape of the Lombardy poplar to the drooping quality of a weeping willow, the form of different trees can add dimension and interest.

The senses of sight and touch can be engaged in the landscape through the use of a multitude of fascinating textures, from rough river rocks to the softness of lamb’s ears to the thorniness of agave leaves. When it comes to landscaping, the most compelling textures are those that capture your attention and imagination.

Unity

A successful landscape design ties all the components together to form a cohesive whole. The unity of the design is accomplished through the use of a theme of colors, forms or textures. It is important to avoid over-doing the theme and creating a monotony in the landscape. For example, too many different colors can create a visually chaotic look. The proper amount of color adds accents, interest and beauty to the landscape.

Unity can also be achieved through the use of transitions and rhythm. Transitions include a gradual change of form, color or texture within a landscape composition. Rhythm is the repetition of elements to create patterns or sequences that move the eye throughout the design. The most effective way to use these principles is in conjunction with one another.

Another principle of good landscape design is the idea of space and proportion. The size of plants and hardscape elements is a crucial aspect of the overall landscape design. Using the Golden Ratio, which is based on nature’s most common occurrences, is an excellent way to establish a scale for your landscape composition. Larger elements can overwhelm smaller spaces, while smaller elements can create a sense of balance.

The idea of space includes creating garden rooms or enclosures that encapsulate specific areas of the landscape, much like the rooms in a house. The continuity of regulating lines, such as a walkway, is essential to linking these areas.

The idea of landscape balance is establishing equal visual weight from side to side and front to back. It can be done through the use of symmetrical or asymmetrical balances and a variety of themes. Themes can be as simple as a single color or as complex as a time-tested design style such as a Formal Garden, Japanese Garden or Xeriscape Style.