Creating The Vision

Balance is an important aspect in landscape design, it can be seen as a state of well being. Landscapes that have a sense of balance are generally the most comfortable to the viewer. There are 2 major types of balance.. Symmetrical balance is a formal style that creates a mirror image of the opposite side while asymmetrical balance, also known as informal balance, creates a relaxed and free-flowing feel to the landscape. Landscape designers use these principles to create landscapes that are pleasing & inviting to look at.

Any great design has a focal point of interest – the place where the viewer’s eye is first attracted. The focal point is the strongest element in the design in any given view. A home’s focal point is often the front door, the landscape focal point is often something close to the front door to enhance the entrance of the home. With larger projects sometimes we include micro focal points, but they are not always necessary.

Simplicity is what the name implies – simple. We like to keep landscape designs simple, not cluttered or busy. This is not the opposite of complexity as many of our landscapes designs have very complex features. Landscapes that make people happy and comfortable while avoiding the use of too many colors, shapes, curves and textures, but in no way does this mean simplistic, boring or lack of imagination!

When something in the landscape is repeated with a standard interval, a rhythm is established. In landscape design, the interval is usually space. Feature plants, groups of plants, feature rocks, privacy screens, path lights or other structures can be repeated within the design to create this rhythm. Lines are created in a landscape by the shape and form of the planting beds, sidewalks, where the turf meets pavement and other hardscaping features. The rhythm and line design principle gives a sense of movement and helps draw you “into” the landscape.

Proportion refers to the size relationship of all the features in the landscape. This includes vertical, horizontal and other relationships. Proportion in landscape design extends to building size, lot size, hardscaping, plantings and open spaces.

The principle of unity is easily measured if the other five landscape principles have been properly executed. Unity in design simply means all the separate parts of the landscape work together. Colors, shapes, sizes, textures and other features work together to create a unified space, where patterns and colors are often repeated. Lighting, special features, bed shapes and hardscapes such as walkways all need to work together to create a landscape that is pleasing to the eye.