PLANTS AND PLANTING DESIGN

landscape design that is distinctly different from

other art forms
•The “art” is always changing as the plants grow,
environmental conditions change, and people use
the space.
•landscape designers use a design process that
systematically considers all aspects of the land, the
environment, the growing plants, and the needs of
the user
To ensure a visually pleasing,
Functional, and
Ecologically healthy design.
• Elements and Principles
• Design process begins by
 Determining the needs and desires of the user
and
The conditions of the site
then organizes the plants and hardscape materials
Using the visual qualities of
line,
form,
color,
 texture,
 visual weight—the elements of design
• The principles are the fundamental concepts of
composition—like
proportion,
order,
repetition,
 unity
that serve as guidelines to arrange or organize the
elements and to create an aesthetically pleasing
or beautiful landscape.
• Elements of composition are the visual qualities
that people see and respond to when viewing a
space
Line
• Line in the landscape is created by the edge between
two materials, the outline or silhouette of a form, or a
long linear feature
• Landscape designers use lines to create
patterns, develop spaces, create forms, control
movement, establish dominance, and create a
cohesive theme in a landscape
• Line can also be created by long and narrow
materials, such as a fence or wall
Landscape lines are created several ways: when the edge
of an object is visible or contrasts with a background,
such as the outline of a tree against the sky; or by the
placement of a material in a line, such as a fence
Properties of Lines
•The properties of lines determine how people respond
to the landscape, both emotionally and physically.
Straight lines
•structural and forceful;
•create a formal character, are usually associated with
a symmetrical design, and lead the eye directly to a
focal point.
•Diagonal lines are straight lines with an intentional
direction.
•Straight lines are most often found in hardscape edges
and material.
Curved lines
• Curved lines create an informal, natural,
relaxed character
• associated more with nature and
asymmetrical balance
• lines move the eye at a slower pace and add
mystery to the space by creating hidden views.
Vertical lines
• Vertical lines move the eye up, making a
space feel larger.
• An upward line can emphasize a feature and
has a feeling of activity or movement.
Vertical lines in the landscape include tall,
narrow plant material, such as trees,
• Horizontal lines
• Horizontal lines move the eye along the ground
plane and
• can make a space feel larger. Low lines are more
subdued and create a feeling of rest or repose.
• Horizontal lines can spatially divide a space or tie
a space together.
• Low lines are created by low garden walls,
walkways, and short hedges.
Form
•Shape is created by an outline that encloses a space, and
form is the three-dimensional mass of that shape.
• Form is found in both hardscape and plants, and it is
typically the dominant visual element that spatially
organizes the landscape and often determines the style of
the garden.
• Formal, geometric forms include circles, squares, and
polygons.
Plant Forms
•Form is the most enduring quality of a plant
•Form is the most consistent and recognizable
characteristic of plants
•the massing of plants, where the overall mass
creates a different form than an individual plant
•A strong form that contrasts with the rest of
the composition will have greater emphasis
within the composition
• A highly contrasting form must be used with care
—one or two work well as a focal point, but too
many create chaos
• Natural plant forms, rather than over-trimmed
forms, should establish the bulk of the
composition
Tree forms
•Common tree forms include round,
columnar, oval, pyramidal, vase and
weeping.
• Different tree forms are used for visual
appeal, but the form is also important for
function.
•Creating a shady area in the garden
requires a round or oval tree,
•while a screen usually requires a more
columnar or pyramidal form, and a
•weeping tree form makes a good focal
point.
• Shrub forms
• Shrub forms include upright, vase shaped, arching, mounding,
rounded, spiky, cascading, and irregular.
• Choosing shrub forms often depends on whether the shrub will be
used in a mass or as a single specimen.
• Mounding and spreading shrubs look best in a mass, and
• cascading and vase-shaped shrubs do well as specimen plants.
• Groundcover forms
• Groundcover forms include matting,
spreading, clumping, sprawling, and
short spikes.
• Almost all groundcovers look better in
masses because they are typically small,
ground-hugging plants that have very
littleimpact as individual plants.
Properties of Form
•Repetition of form is essential to the creation of pattern,
which is the basic organizational structure of the
landscape.
•Form compatibility is also a major component of unity
in design
•one or two strikingly different forms are good for
contrast and emphasis,
•but generally all other forms should have some
similarities for a unified look.
Texture
• Texture refers to how coarse/rough or fine/smooth the
surface of the plant or hardscape material feels and/or looks.
• Texture is used to provide variety, interest, and contrast
• Coarse texture is more dominant than fine and also tends to
dominate color and form
• Coarse texture is more dominant than fine and also tends to
dominate color and form
• while fine texture is more subordinate to other qualities and
tends to unify compositions
• Fine texture exaggerates distance and gives the feeling of a
larger, more open space
• Rough texture minimizes distance—plants appear closer
 Coarse texture Fine texture
large leaves; leaves with very Small foliage; thin,
strappy leaves (grasses)
irregular edges; bold; or tall, thin stems;
variegated colors; thick and small branches;
branches; leaves and long stems (vines); and
small, delicate flowers
Medium texture
Most plants are medium
texture,
medium-sized leaves
with simple shapes
and smooth edges
Properties of Texture
•Texture affects the perception of distance and
scale. To make a space feel larger, locate plants so
that the fine textures are along the outer perimeter,
the medium textures are in the middle, and the
coarse textures are closest to the viewer.
•The small size of the fine texture recedes in the
Landscape and is perceived as being farther away.
Color
• Color in plant material and hardscape adds interest and
variety to the landscape.
• The most temporary element
clour schemes
• Monochromatic scheme
• A monochromatic color scheme uses only one color. A
garden that is all green depends more on form and texture
for contrast and interest.
• One color can have many light and dark variations,
which can add interest.
• An example of a monochromatic scheme is a white
garden with white flowers, white variegated foliage, and
white garden ornaments.
Analogous scheme
•Analogous (sometimes called harmonious) color
schemes are any three to five colors that are
adjacent on the color
wheel, such as red, red-orange, orange, yellow-
orange, and yellow, or blue, blue-violet, and violet.
•The colors are related to each other because they
typically include two primary colors mixed to form
a secondary and two tertiary colors, which means
they share common properties.
Complementary scheme
• Complementary colors are those that are opposite each
other on the color wheel. They tend to have high
contrast between them. The most common sets are
violet and yellow,
• red and green, and blue and orange. Complementary
colors are often found aturally in flowers; a common
pair is yellow and violet.
• Color is found in the flowers, foliage, bark,
and fruit of plants. Foliage typically provides
the overall background
• Green foliage in all its various shades is the
dominant color by quantity, but other colors
capture attention more readily because of their
high contrast to the color green.
• Color is also found in buildings, rocks, pavers,
wood, and furniture. Most colors in natural
materials, such as stone and wood, are typically
muted and tend to be variations of brown, tan, and
pale yellow.
• Bright colors in the hardscape are usually found in
man-made materials, such as painted furniture,
brightly colored ceramic containers or sculptures,
and glass ornaments.
Properties of Color
•Color is an important element for creating interest
and variety in the landscape. Colors have properties
that can affect emotions, spatial perception, light
quality, balance, and emphasis.
•Warm colors tend to be more exciting and should
be used in areas for entertaining and parties.
•Cool colors tend to be calming and should be used
in areas for relaxation and serenity.
• Focal points can be created with bright colors
• bright yellow, which has the highest intensity,
also has a high contrast with all other colors
Visual Weight
• Visual weight is the concept that combinations of
certain features have more importance in the
composition based on mass and contrast.
• Some areas of a composition are more noticeable and
memorable, while others fade into the background.
• A composition where all features have high visual
weight often looks chaotic
• High visual weight usually comes from a group of
plants with characteristics of
Upright or unusual forms
large size
Warm Colors,
Bold texture,
Diagonal lines.

• Low visual weight is found in

Visual weight by mass and
Low horizontal lines, contrast
prostrate or low forms,
Fine texture, and
Subdued or dull colors
Principles of Design
Design principles guide designers in organizing elements
for a visually pleasing landscape.
• A harmonious composition can be achieved through
the principles of proportion, order, repetition, and
unity and the like
Proportion
•Relative proportion is the size of an object in relation to
other objects.
• Absolute proportion is the scale or size of an object. An
important absolute scale in design is the human scale
(size of the human body) because the size of other
objects is considered relative to humans.
• Plant material, garden structures, and ornaments
should be considered relative to human scale. Other
important relative proportions include the size of the
house, yard, and the area to be planted.
Proportion in plants
•Proportion can be found in plant material relative to people
the surrounding plants, and the house. When all three are in
proportion, the composition feels balanced and harmonious.
• A feeling of balance can also be achieved by having equal
proportions of open space and planted space.
•Using markedly different plant sizes can help to achieve
dominance (emphasis) through contrast with a large plant.
•Using plants that are similar in size can help to achieve
rhythm through repetition of size.
 Proportion in plants and hardscape
•A feeling of balance can also
be achieved by having equal
proportions of open space and
planted space.
•Using markedly different plant
sizes can help to achieve
dominance (emphasis) through
contrast with a large plant
•Using plants that are similar in
size can help to achieve rhythm
through repetition of size.
ORDER
• Order generally refers to the spatial layout or
organization of the design and is most often
achieved through balance
• Balance is the concept of equal visual attraction
and weight, usually around a real or imaginary
central axis
• Form, color, size, and texture all affect balance
• Balance can be symmetrical, asymmetrical.
• Order can also be achieved by massing
features or elements into distinct groups and
arranging them around a central point
Symmetrical balance
• Symmetrical balance is achieved when the
same objects (mirror images) are placed on
either side of an axis.
Asymmetrical balance
• Asymmetrical balance is achieved by equal visual
weight of nonequivalent forms, color, or texture on
either side of an axis
To create balance, features
with large sizes, dense forms,
bright colors, and coarse
textures appear heavier and
should be used sparingly,

while small sizes, sparse

forms, gray or subdued colors,
and fine texture
appear lighter and should be
used in greater amounts
Repetition
• Repetition is created by the repeated use of
elements or features to create patterns or a
sequence in the landscape
• Repeating line, form, color, and texture creates
rhythm in the landscape
• Repetition must be used with care—too much
repetition can create monotony, and too little can
create confusion
Repetition in plants and hardscape
• A grass garden is a good example of subtle plant
repetition
• Gradation can be achieved with a gradual change in
height or size (e.g., using small grasses in front, backed
by medium grasses, and then large grasses)
• Material can be used repeatedly throughout the yard
for unity, but interest can be created by slightly varying
the size, texture, or color of hardscape material
 Unity
• Unity is achieved by linking elements and features to create a
consistent character in the composition
• Unity is sometimes referred to as harmony—the concept of
everything fitting together
• Unity is achieved by using dominance, interconnection,
• Although hardscapes and plants can be unified by the blending
of similar characteristics, some variety is also important to
create interest
• The simplest way to create unity is through the use of a design
theme or a design style
Unity by dominance
• Dominance or emphasis is the property of a plant or
object that attracts and holds attention, making the
object an important feature
• The ability of an object to capture attention usually
depends on contrast with adjacent objects
Typical example for a garden would be a very brightly
colored ceramic pot among green foliage
• Dominant features that capture attention are called
focal points
• Plants that draw attention are often called specimen
plants. These are plants with a unique form, size, or
texture that stand out from the surrounding plants
• Specimen plants are usually used to draw attention
to entrances, pathways, or statuary
• Form and color are usually the characteristics that
contrast the most hardscpe with plants
Unity by interconnection
•Interconnection, the concept of physical linkage
of various elements,
• Although all features are linked to other
elements, the key is to make the linkage so that
the features blend or fit together.
• Continuation of a line, such as a path, the edge
of a built object, or a defined edge of a plant bed,
can create unity through interconnection.
Unity by simplicity
• Simplicity is the concept of reducing or
eliminating nonessentials to avoid a chaotic
look
• Many designers achieve simplicity by
thoughtfully removing features from a design
while still preserving its integrity
Summary
• The fundamental concept of landscape design is problem
solving through the use of horticultural science, artful
composition, and spatial organization to create attractive
and functional outdoor environment for different uses.
• The elements (visual qualities)—line, form, texture, color,
and visual weight, and principles (guidelines) —
proportion, order, repetition, and unity of design are used
to create spaces, connect them, and make them visually
pleasing to the eye.