do it yourself, diy, articles and information, how to
Search:  
The Basic Principles Of Landscaping - A Lesson In Simplicity - Read the following do it yourself/diy article to discover more about The Basic Principles Of Landscaping - A Lesson In Simplicity and more about Landscaping. - Information and article directory provided by S&S Designed Landscaping and The Landscape Design Site.

Home | Landscaping


The Basic Principles Of Landscaping - A Lesson In Simplicity

While often overlooked, simplicity is one of the principles of landscape design. It not only is a principle of design, but also of all forms of art. And just as the word implies, keep your landscaping ideas simple. At least to start with. Once you have your design figured out you can add more later.

Adding simplicity doesn't suggest that your landscaping efforts should be totally free of life or form. It basically means to stay within the other principles such as proportion, form, repetition, and balance.

A simple mistake that a lot of do it yourselfers demonstrate is in mixing a bit too many different elements in their initial landscaping plan. This can lead to a very unprofessional looking design. Keeping your ideas very simple in the initial stages will keep things in perspective. You can change things later if you want to.

The best example I can think of is in making good plant choices and different color variations. Choosing the right landscaping plants is generally a big problem for most home landscapers simply because they don't have a knowledge of the vast and varied plant varieties. And even with that, the majority of people will go to the plant nursery and bring home several varieties of uncomplimentary plants to place in their design. And this one small thing can cause the landscaping to be unbalanced.

While the majority of home gardeners don't have a large knowledge about landscaping plants, most people are somewhat familiar with a variety or two or can see what looks good in landscaping pictures or even in their neighbors designs. And so a good place to start would be in observing other designs. Notice that you can create a lot more impact from a simple selection of a couple of choice varieties and repeating them through the garden than you will from a variation of unrelated plants.

In simpler terms, pick two to three varieties, shades, or hues and repeat them throughout the landscape. Repetition is a principle of landscape design that is very easy to follow.

Here's a neat design "trick" to try:

If you might like to create some impact in your garden design, try building a few beds or borders using several different shades of the same color. Do this using two, three, or more species of plants and you'll also create some interesting contrast of texture. And the same as other principles, contrast and changes in texture are also principles of design and art.

This principle applies to all parts of your landscape design. Whether it's front yard, side, or backyard landscaping, it's not just limited to your plantings.

Keep your landscaping simple in the beginning stages. It will be much easier to design and you can always add more stuff later. Every good garden or landscape project needs to demonstrate the principle of simplicity.

This Article Was Written By: Steve E Boulden

Written by Steve Boulden. Steve is the creator of The Landscape Design Site.com which offers free professional landscaping advice and ideas to do it yourselfers and homeowners. He also has a large landscaping pictures collection at: www.the-landscape-design-site.com

Article Source: http://www.the-landscape-design-site.com/diy

Please Rate this Article

 

# of Ratings = 1 | Rating = 2/5

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Landscaping Articles Via RSS!

Free Landscaping Ideas  Free Landscaping Pictures Directory  Pictures Of Backyard Landscaping  
Buy Landscape Fabric  Backyard Landscaping Ideas  Front Yard Landscaping Ideas  Landscaping Plan  Landscaping Plans  Lawn Care

Powered by Article Dashboard