Prime Cut Lawn And Landscaping is a broad field that can include a range of design elements. Some landscape professionals have college degrees and apprenticeships in addition to on-the-job experience.
Look for inspiration in botanical gardens, local garden centers and estate gardens to get ideas that can be adapted to your home. Take photos and make notes.
When it comes to making your garden look stunning, color is one of the most important tricks up your sleeve. It can draw attention to focal points in the landscape, make a space feel larger or smaller, and create balance and harmony among your plantings.
The color theory behind landscaping can seem overwhelming at first, but with a little time and practice it becomes easier to understand and incorporate into your designs. For starters, you need to know the basics of the color wheel. This design graphic explains the relationships between primary colors (blue, red, and yellow) as well as secondary and tertiary colors created by mixing primary hues (purple from blue and red, green from blue and yellow, orange from yellow and red).
In addition to understanding the basic color principles, you must consider the colors that surround your space. This includes the colors of buildings, structures, and other plants that you may want to include in your landscape. Ideally, you should aim to create a seamless blend between the different elements of your design so that it appears as though they have always been part of the natural surroundings.
A savvy use of color can also be used to emphasize the textures of your landscape. From smooth river rocks to the spiky leaves of a cholla or lamb’s ears, texture is one of the most important landscape features. Using a variety of textures can help your garden look more interesting and draw attention to specific focal points.
Finally, you must consider the intensity of the colors that you choose for your landscape. The more vibrant a color is, the more it will stand out against the background. This is why it is important to use the right shade of green for your garden and to be careful about placing bright flowers next to structures or buildings, which can cause a clash of colors that can be off-putting.
Ultimately, the beauty of color in landscaping is its ability to make people happy. Research has shown that spending time in nature can boost mood, relieve stress, and promote a sense of serenity. Landscaping is all about creating beautiful outdoor spaces that will make your customers, employees, and visitors feel good, and using the power of color in your garden can be a great way to achieve this.
Texture
The eye is drawn to textures, whether in plants, flowers, paving or water features. Using contrasting textures adds depth and dimension to the landscape and makes it more interesting. Texture also provides a sense of movement and defines spaces, drawing the viewer’s attention to certain areas of the garden.
Plants provide a foliar expression of texture, ranging from fine- to medium- to coarse-leaved. Contrasting plant textures create visual interest, especially when mixed with a variety of colors and sizes. For example, pairing Silver Lace dusty miller with coarse-leaved red salvia produces a striking combination of textural contrast and color coordination.
Hardscape elements can also provide a variety of textures. Smooth surfaces such as concrete, asphalt or pavers can be balanced with textured elements like pebbles and rough rock. For example, a patio made with modular concrete paving stones in a light gray hue can be accented by large black pebbles, adding both contrasting color and a more natural feel to the space.
Lines are another important element to consider in your landscaping design. Whether they’re perceived lines created by the arrangement of plants, or actual walkways and paths to and from a feature, lines provide structure for your landscape.
Depending on how close or far you are to a garden, the way you perceive its texture will change. For instance, a small-leaved, densely branched shrub like Japanese yew or Japanese barberry may look dense and coarse up close but, when seen from a distance, their branches become more spread out and they take on a finer texture.
In the same way, a coarse-textured plant like an ornamental grass or fern can appear fine if grouped with more medium-textured plants, creating a harmony of textures.
While the majority of your landscaping will be dominated by plant varieties, it is also important to incorporate different types of textured paving materials. Using gravel, recycled aggregates and a variety of different colored pavers can help bring a richer texture to your landscape.
Form
Line is the primary visual element that defines space and creates movement in a landscape. It can be straight, curved, horizontal, diagonal or vertical and outlines the edges of hardscape features like paths and walkways as well as softscape garden beds and turf areas. Straight lines tend to create a formal character and are often associated with symmetrical design while curved lines work best in a natural, relaxed or informal design. Horizontal and diagonal lines add interest and movement to a landscape while highlighting focal points.
Color is another important element to consider when creating a landscape design. While some people like a monochromatic color scheme (all shades of one color) others prefer more vibrant or contrasting colors. When designing a color scheme it’s important to remember that light affects color and how it is perceived. Bright sunlight will make colors appear more saturated and intense while filtered light will subdue them.
Form refers to the shape of a plant or hardscape element. Shrubs come in many forms including arching, cascading, spiky and vase shaped. Plants of a similar form can be used to create massed areas that help establish a theme. Alternatively, plants of different forms can be used to create focal points that draw attention to themselves.
The shape of a tree, the size and shape of ponds, the length and width of plantings and the shape of paving and other hardscape elements are all considered when putting together a successful landscape design. Shape ties the entire design together, ensuring that all components work in harmony.
The theme of the landscape design can be a horticultural or architectural style, a geographic location or a particular style. Theme can also be created by using a combination of forms such as geometric shapes for the hardscape and curvilinear or organic shapes for the plantings. Repetition of line, color and texture is also important when designing a landscape. However, it’s important to note that too much repetition can create monotony and an overabundance of one type of form can detract from the overall beauty of a landscape design.
Function
In addition to aesthetic function, a well-designed landscape also provides practical benefits. For example, it can help control erosion and floodwaters, improve air quality, provide habitat for wildlife, and create shade and privacy. It can also increase the value of a home and encourage people to spend time outdoors. A well-designed landscape can provide many social, psychological, and health benefits, such as a sense of serenity and relaxation, as well as stimulate the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals.
A landscape can include a variety of elements, such as plants, trees, and flowers, water features, paving materials, fences, garden structures, walls, and other decorative features. A good landscape design will also consider how these different elements will work together and how they will fit into the surrounding environment. It will also take into account the climate, soil conditions, and drainage of the area.
Landscaping can be done on a small scale, such as in the yard of a private home, or on a larger scale, such as public gardens and parks. Some of these projects may require collaboration between public and private groups. In the case of public landscapes, the goal is often to provide green space for recreation and to enhance the appearance of a city or town.
The landscape can be divided into biotic and abiotic components. The biotic component includes living things, such as flora and fauna, while the abiotic component refers to non-living elements, such as terrain shape and elevation, bodies of water, and wind patterns.
Landscapes can also be categorized by their level of complexity. For example, a simple backyard garden may only have a few plants and a few pieces of paved or wooded areas. A more complicated landscape may feature a series of interconnecting pathways and rooms that are designed to serve specific purposes, such as entertaining or relaxing.
In addition to creating and maintaining a beautiful landscape, landscaping professionals must also be skilled in the use of various construction techniques and materials. These skills are necessary to make sure that the finished product meets the desired function and aesthetic appeal. This may include regrading or leveling the site, installing retaining walls, adding water features, and providing maintenance to ensure that the landscaping remains healthy and attractive.