For structure and utility, trees and large to medium shrubs are the most important plants in the landscape, they contribute the most to microclimates (Figure 10), spatial organization, and security concerns. The size, form and texture (density) are the three dominant characteristics that determine how the plant can be used to make more pleasant microclimates and create a more functional, organized, energy efficient yard.
Plants provide structure in the garden in the same way as do the walls of a building. Shrubs can act as walls in a space and the branches of trees form a ceiling canopy overhead. The overhead plane, the vertical plane and the ground plane should all be considered to create enclosure. Once the shape of a plant bed has been established, the plants should be massed (grouped) and layered to achieve visual unity and the desired amount of enclosure. The size of a plant mass will depend on the total size of the yard, the size of the individual plants in the mass, and the emphasis or impact desired from the plant material. Overlapping the masses of plants so that they are layered, both horizontally (Figure 11) and vertically (Figure 12) links the plants with an interconnecting pattern. Each plant mass is in front of, behind, or next to, another mass.
All plant compositions begin with the main structure plants, the large, mostly evergreen background plants-such as the trees and large shrubs. These plants separate or enframe spaces, control the size of the space, and provide the starting point for choosing the appropriate characteristics of the second layer, midground plants, for massing and infill. The final layer of plants, the foreground plants, includes the low growing plants that often provide emphasis or focal points.
Important points in the garden should be highlighted by the use of unique plants, distinct structures, or garden ornaments. Marking thresholds or entrances to spaces can be done with gates, arbors, and steps, or through the use of unique and colorful plants. The form and/or style theme of the garden will often help determine the important points and how they should be highlighted. Some styles have signature elements, such as a type of statuary or water feature, that are the hallmark of the style. Other important places in the yard are focal points, which is used to visually organize a landscaped area. The type of focal point often depends on the viewing perspective. Different perspectives or viewpoints can reveal different compositions in the landscape that may require a variety of focal points. Contrasting texture, shape, size and color will capture and hold the eye.
Detail in the landscape is derived from the visual quality of plants, hardscape, and garden ornaments. Sensual qualities such as scent, sound, and touch also add detail to the landscape. Various combinations of form, color, texture, and size create aesthetic qualities. Plants come in various forms-such as round, columnar, weeping, and spreading, that compliment or contrast with each other depending on how similar or different they are (Figure 13). Form is the most enduring quality of a plant and thus the most important characteristic.
After form, texture is the next dominant feature of a plant; coarse, medium and fine textures can be used for contrast and emphasis in the landscape. Form and texture both trump color in the garden for most of the year. However, during certain seasons, color will be the most noticeable characteristic of the garden. To extend color displays throughout the year, use plants that have color in numerous plant parts, such as the foliage, bark, and fruit.
Various color schemes, based on color theory, are used for contrast or unity in a garden. Typically one color, two contrasting colors, or several analogous (similar) colors are repeated throughout the garden. Both color and texture affect distance and can change the perceived size of a space-warm colors and/or coarse texture make a space feel smaller; cool colors and/or fine texture make a space feel larger. The characteristics of individual plants affect balance, unity and emphasis in the composition. Dark colors and coarse textures make a plant look heavier and larger (more visual weight) and must be balanced with the same or with a larger mass of bright or light colors with fine or medium texture. Massing plants with similar colors and textures provides unity, but contrasting plants should be included to provide emphasis at important points.
To fully appreciate and experience a garden, all of the senses must be considered. The pleasant scent of plants, the sound of wind in the trees, the sound and texture of water, and the colors and textures of sculptures, pots and garden furniture all add to the experience of the garden. One detail that is often overlooked is the effect of light on the aesthetics of the plants. Light shining through a plant, such as a feathery grass, can change its appearance. The entire garden changes in function and appearance over the course of the day, and the course of a year, as the light and temperature change from morning to night and season to season.
Plant selection must consider a plant's growth rate, its mature size and form, and the maintenance it will require. Fast growing plants may or may not be desirable depending on the size of the site, the design intent, and the expected level of maintenance. It is important to know the eventual mature size of plants so they can be placed in the right location and spaced properly when they are installed.
Giving plants room to grow is a challenge because the common mature size is typically based on optimal growing conditions and the environmental conditions of a site may cause a plant to grow larger or stay smaller. If plants are spaced too closely (to simulate a fully grown landscape) the overcrowded plants will present a maintenance issue. Provide enough space so that, when fully mature, the plants are barely touching their neighbors and a somewhat solid growing mass is formed (Figure 14). It is important, however, to leave space so the plant does not touch the side of the house-this space allows for air circulation and home maintenance. Another common mistake is to plant too close to utilities such as AC units and meters.
Be a good steward of the land through the wise use of plants, water, and building materials. The three areas of greatest impact are the use of resource-efficient plants, the management of water, and the use of environmentally sound hardscape materials. Before you remove any plant material, consider how you might be able to enrich your existing ecological capital. That is, look at what you have and decide if it is worth saving. Some plant material may simply be in the wrong place and can be transplanted for more favorable conditions. Look for resource-efficient plants when choosing new plants. Florida-friendly plants are long lived, insect and disease resistant, and don't demand frequent trimming, fertilizing, and watering.
The design phase is the time to consider incorporating the development of a rainwater catchment system. The availability of water will no doubt be limited in the future so you must decide the role of water in your design: where will you get irrigation water, how will you manage it, and how will you use it? The most obvious source will be rainwater and the use of a harvesting system to capture, move, and store it. The system can be an aesthetic design element if planned for early in the process. It is typically the first element to be installed because it sometimes requires earthmoving and underground piping.
Protecting resources also includes the use of environmentally friendly hardscape materials and non-toxic preservatives, stains, paints, and cleaners. Reusing construction materials will reduce the environmental impact of using new materials and keep old materials out of the waste stream. Before any demolition starts on your old patio, pool deck, arbors, or structures, consider how you might reuse the material in your new design. In addition to helping the environment it will also help your budget. If you will not be doing any demolition work in your yard, look for other sources of used material in your community.
Your yard is a very important natural resource that adds value to your home and enjoyment to your life. It contributes to a desirable, healthy community. Several important concepts will help you create an aesthetically pleasing, functional, and sustainable design. First remember to put your ideas on paper: create a design plan. Use the design process to identify and understand your site and your needs. Use a theme to guide your decisions; professional designers always look to the existing conditions for inspiration and material and plant choices. Create spaces that serve as outdoor rooms-this is an essential concept of design-both for functionality and psychological comfort human scaled spaces are the most desirable. Use plant material to create the walls, ceilings and floors of the rooms for a physically comfortable microclimate. Remember that plants change over time, plan for this and you will find that observing the changes is one of the most rewarding aspects of your garden. In many of our urban areas private yards represent the last remnants of green space, think about how your yard fits into the big picture and what you can do to have a positive impact on the environment in your neighborhood.
This document is ENH1112, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date December 2008. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication.
If you live in Utah, you have undoubtedly heard that Utah is one of the driest states in the nation, second only to Nevada. This fact, along with our relatively high level of water consumption and our population growth, has brought water conservation to the forefront of those natural resource issues currently facing the state.
In Utah, approximately 65% of our annual culinary water consumption is applied to landscapes. Our irrigated landscapes provide us with many benefits that include beautiful surroundings, natural cooling, and the cleansing of our environment.
However, Utah landscapes are often over-irrigated and a great deal of water conservation may be achieved by keeping a few water-wise landscaping principles in mind as we design, install, and manage our landscapes.
A landscape design should meet the needs of the people who will use and maintain the area while incorporating the site’s existing environmental conditions into the design. Water is a limiting resource in Utah, so designing the landscape to efficiently use water is important.
AerationConserving water in the landscape can be accomplished by selecting low water use plants, designing and scheduling irrigation systems efficiently, grouping plants according to their water requirements, and using hardscaping materials (patios, stone paths, decks, etc.) appropriately to reduce the area requiring irrigation.
Develop a plot plan of the area to be landscaped. This is simply a map of the building and lawn along with the location of existing structures, trees and shrubs, property lines, driveways, gardens, utility lines, contours of the land, or other possible limitations to the design.
Based on the environmental considerations found in the site analysis, decide where plants should be placed for optimum aesthetic value, screening of undesirable views, shade or windbreaks, and separation of areas of the yard. Consider the use of hardscaping materials such as patios, walks, screens, and lighting.
Deciduous trees should be placed on the south, east and west sides of the building to take advantage of the potential benefits of summer shade and winter sun to heat or cool the building.
Evergreens are good insulators but limit sunlight, so try to plant them on the north side of the building. In order to protect a home from cold and snow, use trees and shrubs as insulators or windbreaks along the building.
When choosing plants, identify their water requirements and group those with similar irrigation requirements in the same area or irrigation zone. This will help to more accurately meet plant water needs while conserving water. Zones can be separated into zone 0 (no irrigation), zone 1 (irrigate monthly), zone 2 (irrigate twice per month), zone 3 (irrigate weekly) and zone 4 (irrigate twice per week).
Plants adapted to the dry conditions of Utah will survive with little or no water (zone 0). It is important to know the water requirements of the plants at the site to most efficiently meet these needs without wasting water. The watering zone designs will depend on the amount of water you wish to use for the landscape, how much money you can spend on landscape water, and what you wish to achieve aesthetically and environmentally.
There are several basic principles of design to consider when planning the landscape. Along with the ones listed below, remember the importance of simplicity and harmony in designing.
Balance—Balance can be symmetrical or asymmetrical. Symmetrical is a more formal style of design with materials on one side mirrored on the other. Asymmetrical balance can be achieved by using different elements to create a more informal equilibrium. This may require using a group of smaller shrubs to counterbalance a large tree on the opposite side.
Unity—Group plants to achieve a unifying effect in the landscape (usually in groups of 3, 5, or 7). Plants can be grouped according to color, texture, or form. However, some variety in color, plant material, hardscaping textures, etc., adds interest to the landscape.
Accent—Accent is also referred to as dominance. Balance and rhythm can help lead the eye through the design to the focal point (accent). Examples of focal points may be a building, large tree or bed of bright flowers in front of a row of green shrubs.
The most basic component of your landscape is the soil and many landscape problems can be avoided if an adequate amount of time is spent on properly preparing the soil before the landscape is installed. The types of plants that you are growing will have a bearing on the characteristics you require from a soil, but there are some general guidelines to follow.
Most plants do well under a range of soil conditions, however many plants have an optimum pH range, salt tolerance level, and soil moisture requirement. In choosing plants for Utah, remember that most soils have an alkaline (high) pH and some have moderate to high salt levels.
The most basic component of your landscape is the soil and many landscape problems can be avoided if an adequate amount of time is spent on properly preparing the soil before the landscape is installed.
The types of plants that you are growing will have a bearing on the characteristics you require from a soil, but there are some general guidelines to follow. Using plant species that are adapted to the soil will help minimize maintenance and water required.
Plant growth and ease of maintenance are improved immensely by high quality soils. Landscape soil quality can be improved by keeping it clean during construction, tillage to reduce compaction, and amending with fertilizers and organic matter. To amend soils correctly requires an understanding of the following characteristics.