Landscape Design

Landscape Design

• The art of developing property for its greatest use and enjoyment– Involves understanding the environment

around the structure and selecting plants that perform well in that environment.

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Landscape Value Determinants

• Aesthetic appeal• Economic value• Functional value• Environmental

effects

Good design results in adding value to property and enhancing quality of life.

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Aesthetic Appeal• Add visual beauty • Hide undesirable features• Emphasize desirable

features • Appeal to all five senses

– Sight – Hearing– Touch– Taste– Smell

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Economic Value• Increase property value 6 to 15 percent • Reduce energy costs

– Buffer wind– Control solar heat gain

Courtesy USDA ©iStockphoto.com

Functional Value

• Aesthetic value• Enhance livability• Conservation and environmental protection• Solar heat control• Wind control• Sound control• Slope stabilization

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Environmental Effects

Landscaping can

• Moderate temperatures

• Reduce glare and wind

• Use water more efficiently

• Clean the air

• Provide wildlife habitat

Bird and Butterfly habitat

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Rules and RegulationsState, local, and/or community regulations may control landscape design.• Storm water drainage• Tree ordinances• Street trees• Street yard• Buffer yards• Street wall• Parking screen and islands• Trash screen

Rules and Regulations

Storm water regulations

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Rules and Regulations

Tree Ordinances

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Rules and Regulations

Street Trees

Rules and Regulations

Street Yard

Rules and RegulationsBuffer Yards

Rules and Regulations

Parking Screens and Islands

Rules and Regulations

Trash Screen

Unintended Results of Landscaping• Air Pollution: Gasoline-powered landscape

equipment (mowers, trimmers, blowers, and chainsaws) account for more than 5% of our urban air pollution.

• Chemical Toxins: Residential application of pesticides is typically at a rate 20 times that of farmers per acre.

• Solid Wastes: Yard wastes (mostly grass clippings) comprise 20% of municipal solid waste collected. Most still end up in landfills.

• Flooding and Water Pollution: A lawn has less than 10% of the water absorption capacity of natural woodland – a reason for suburban flooding.

Environmentally Friendly Landscaping

• Protect natural areas

• Reduce turf

• Mulch planted areas

• Use native plant species

• Reduce energy consumption – Low maintenance landscaping

– Environmentally friendly materials

• Use Xeriscape techniques Courtesy EPA

Xeriscape Landscaping philosophy that seeks to minimize the need for water.

1. Proper planning and design2. Soil analysis / improvements3. Appropriate plant selection4. Practical turf areas5. Efficient irrigation6. Use of mulches7. Appropriate maintenance

Xeriscape in Colorado

Water Use ZonesPLANTING TYPE WATER USENative Plant Low

Cactus Garden Low

Herb Garden Moderate to Low

Fruit Trees Moderate

Flower Garden High

Vegetable Garden Moderate to High (depends on crops)

Wildflower Meadow High (germination)

Low (once established)

Lawn Moderate to High

Group plants by water use zones

• Repetition

• Balance

• Emphasis

• Unity

Principles of Design

Concepts used to organize the elements of a design

Repetition

• Use of the same element over and over

• Repetition is achieved when the same line, shape, color, texture, plant, or material is used throughout the landscape

Principles of Design

Repetition

Which elements are repeated?

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Principles of Design

Balance

• A sense of equality that can either be symmetric or asymmetric.

Formal Balance – A symmetrical design in which the design can be divided into two identical halves.

Informal Balance – An asymmetrical design that can not be divided into identical halves but that provides an overall sense of equilibrium.

Balance

Formal Balance©iStockphoto.com

Principles of Design

Emphasis• The result of focusing attention on one aspect of

a design.• Emphasis is constructed by creating a visual path

from at least one vantage point to the focal point.

Focal Point – The object of attention

Vantage Point – The place from which the focal point is viewed

Emphasis

What is the focal point?Image by the Environmental Protection Agency

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Principles of DesignUnity

The impression that the separate parts of the design belong together or are part of a whole.

Unity is created by• A consistent style (Japanese, formal, etc.)• Visual pathways• Consistent color scheme• Repetition of lines, plants, and hardscape

Unity

Is the design unified? Why?

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Concept (Master) Plan

Delineate spaces– Hardscape– Planting beds– Turf areas

Landscape Design Process

Locate plants by broad classification—Deciduous or coniferous—Tree or shrub—Groundcover—Turf

Use straight lines or smooth curves

Concept Plan

Landscape Design Process

Hardscape–Driveway, walks, patio, deck,

walls, and fences–Garden structures – Gazebo,

trellis, arch–Garden ornaments –

fountains, sculptures birdbaths, etc.

–Furniture

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Landscape Design Process

Plant Material– Height– Spread (width)– Deciduous or coniferous– Form or shape

(columnar, cone, round)– Growth rate – Growing conditions

• Sun, moisture, soil conditions

– Hardiness zone©iStockphoto.com

http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

Landscape Design Process

Planting Plan

Indicates the location and species of plants

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Planting Plan

Image Sources

Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Ariel Rios building south courtyard perspective. Retrieved at http://www.epa.gov/greeningepa/stormwater/ars_perspective.htm.

istockphoto. (n.d.). Retrieved at http://www.istockphoto.com/index.php.

United States Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Conservation practices that save: Windbreaks/shelterbelts. Retrieved at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/energy/windbreaks.html.