Useful Design Principles To Apply In Your Residential Landscaping Projects

By William Parker


One of the greatest ways to create an appealing outdoor space and improve the value of your home is through landscaping. In the front yard, you can install a curb appeal with some beautiful walkways or even set up an eco-friendly garden instead of a lawn. In the backyard, you can carve out a space for entertaining family and friends fitted with fire feature, outdoor kitchen, a pool, and many more. Ideally, a residential landscaping project does not have to be so overwhelming when you have the right know-how and resources to carry out the job. Whether working on a project for a new house or revamping an existing, one the most important things to know are design and construction. You have to have some rules that guide you. Below are some of them.

The first one is the law of significant enclosure. This one is more of a law than a rule, so this is absolutely critical while implementing your gardens. Typically, gardens should be enclosed. That is, creating a sense of refuge. This design law stipulates that we should be able to feel enclosed when the horizontal space is not more than three time the vertical edge of a space.

Another principle similar to the above is the rectangular line. This line is supposed to guide you in placing different features in your project. From architectural and landscaping perspective, there is always an imaginary line that defined by the nearest feature such as a tree or a building edge. So, in order to achieve a cohesive design, you should place items respect to the imaginary line.

Apart from the above, you should also be guided by the golden rectangle rule. This will help you to set the right proportions. Historically, this principle has been applied in some of the iconic structures we have today such as the Great Pyramids at Giza. The rule stipulates that the ratio of the short side to long side should be equal to the ratio of long side to both the short and long side in the ratio of 1:1.6.

Among the most important considerations that will help you in your project is sizing. Know that size matters. So, if you were to choose between a small and bigger alternative always go with the latter. Even if it seems so awkward at the moment, you will not regret it several years from today.

When it comes to plants, always start from biggest ones to the smallest. For instance, start planting trees first, then you can consider shrubs before bring in perennials, and finally the ground cover. Practically, it would be difficult to plant a big tree, which might require several gardeners or a machine. This might require some space for maneuvering, so if you had made your bed then you will definitely damage it.

Besides planting bigger first, you should also try to plant in masses. That is, try to plant several plants of a certain type in one area rather than having several species mixed together. It helps in creating a more striking appearance.

Lastly, the way your plants are planted is very important to the overall outcome. If you get it wrong - not considering the right height and pit sizes - with this one, then you will have wasted your effort in following the above principles.




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