Landscape design is the activity of creating a beautiful and comfortable environment in various areas, usually outside the home - in the garden, in the park, in a recreation area, etc. The purpose of this activity is to create aesthetics and harmony of natural and man-made forms. Landscape design provides truly limitless opportunities for creativity and allows you to fabulously transform even a modest garden plot. In this short article, get acquainted with the main components of landscape design and terminology.
English style garden
The principle of dominant, accent and background
The dominant feature on any site will be the house. The garden is an extension of the house. The house and garden should be in the same style.
If this does not happen, a feeling of discomfort arises. And no matter what money you spend on plants for your garden and no matter what efforts you make, you will not be able to create a real garden.
Then we can talk about accents. These are groups of the largest, most noticeable and colorful trees and shrubs. When creating any compositions, they are always there.
The accent can be a pond, stream, gazebo. There shouldn't be too many accents. Otherwise they will cease to be accents. And our composition will turn into a banal set of plants and small architectural forms.
When composing a composition, the background is very important. No composition will look good against the backdrop of a decrepit fence or a neighbor’s vegetable garden with potatoes. The background needs and can be created. The background can be a fence, a hedge, a view of a forest or field, or a lawn.
2. The principle of nuance
The composition is based on the principle of nuance, when the constituent elements are similar to each other.
An example of a composition based on nuance would be a mixed flower bed of perennials of different shades of pink or a composition of clipped round plants of different sizes.
The principle of contrast when composing a composition in landscape design
Contrasting colors are colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel.
Contrasting colors have this wonderful quality: they enhance each other's effect. Red on green, purple on yellow, orange on blue seem brighter. Even if there is very little color, it will be noticeable against a contrasting background.
In landscape design, it is undesirable to use contrasting colors in equal quantities. There must be less of some color, more of some. If we take plants that are equal in size and contrasting in color, then the optical balance will be disturbed and our composition is unlikely to be harmonious.
Color circle. Contrasting colors are opposite. Contrasting colors: red and green, yellow and purple, etc.
You cannot use several groups of plants of contrasting color next to each other. There should always be a neutral background.
Plants can be contrasting not only in color, but also in shape. Plants with contrasting shapes are cone-shaped and spherical, columnar and spherical, columnar and prostrate.
The principle of an equilateral triangle
This rule is used not only by landscape designers, but also by artists, photographers, and florists.
Plants or small architectural forms are placed in such a way that an unequal triangle is visible along the contour. One of the elements should be the highest, the second - slightly lower, the third - the lowest.
The triangle does not have to be straight. If one of the corners turns out to be right, then one of the elements may obscure the other and the entire group will not be visible. That is, there will be no group.
If we take the triangle rule in general form, then it will be the rule of three. Three shapes, three sizes, three colors.
A path laid from tiles of 3 different sizes of the same color looks good. Compositions made of stones can be laid out according to the principle: large-medium-small.
Composition of a one-way review
A one-way view composition in landscape design is a group of plants and small architectural forms viewed from only one side. Most often, one-sided compositions are created against the wall of a house, a fence, or against the backdrop of a hedge.
The optimal distance from our composition to the view point should be equal to the height of the plant multiplied by 2 or 2.5. That is, if it is assumed that the bush will grow to 1.5 m, then the optimal distance from it to the viewer is 1.5 x 2 = 3 m.
This rule does not mean at all that a tree whose height will be 10 m must necessarily be planted 20 m from the observer. If our plant grows larger, then usually we will not see it in all its glory, but will observe only a fragment of it.
When conceiving a composition for a one-sided view, you can and should use plants of the same shape and size. Or simply - the same plants at certain intervals. This will give a sense of rhythm and continuity.
One-way view composition
When composing a composition, you need to remember that some plants will dominate, others will act as a background.
It is foolish to buy the most beautiful plants in your opinion at the garden center and plant them all together in one group. It won't be as beautiful as it will be expensive.
It is much better to create a composition using background plants that highlight the beauty of the accent plants. Here, look out for plants with silver foliage. By themselves they are not always beautiful, but in a group with others they are simply a miracle! Plants with silver foliage: angustifolia and silver oleaster, sea buckthorn, various willows, wormwood, some sages, etc.
A special case of a one-way review composition would be a mixborder.
Landscape design in Minsk and the region:
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Design process
Zoning
If you do not divide the land into functional zones, it will not look neat and beautiful. Correct zoning of the territory makes it possible to increase its functionality and make the most of all land resources.
Before zoning, it is necessary to determine all the features of the land: the location of electrical cables, changes in relief, the contours of the land, plants already planted on the territory. All this must be noted schematically, and only then zoning of the territory should be carried out. Mandatory zones for the territory: house zone, recreation area - gazebo, barbecue, playroom, garden and entrance area. If there is a bathhouse on the site, it must be installed near the communications site so that the bathhouse is supplied with the required amount of water.
Environmental friendliness of materials
A variety of materials are used to stylishly decorate an area, but in the modern world there is increasing attention to the environmental friendliness of the materials used. The most commonly used material is stone - it can be marble, limestone, pebbles, sandstone, granite, gravel, etc. The type of stone used depends on the financial abilities of the owners.
For the decoration of some elements on the territory, glass is used, which is used to make stained glass windows or various static figures. Often the decor on the site is carried out using wood products - this is one of the most environmentally friendly materials and is always in demand. If sculptures are planned on the site, then it is better to use copper, which is a cheap and environmentally friendly material, but it will have to be carefully looked after, as it needs good care.
Saving natural resources
The modern creation of garden areas contributes to the resumption of contact between people and living nature. Part of the garden land is deliberately kept unchanged, and the house is integrated into the natural design. This aspect makes it possible to seriously save on natural resources by using wind and solar energy. Windmills and solar panels are still not particularly common in suburban areas, but over time the situation will change for the better.
For example, you can save electricity on your territory with the help of artificially created luminous stones. They are poured onto paths or used to decorate the façade of a house; their use does not require electric lights. Currently, scientists are developing luminous plant crops, and although they have so far been grown only in laboratories, in the future they will burst onto the world market.
Mixed flower garden
We offer services for creating mixed flower beds and mixborders.
Mixborder is a mixed flower garden that includes mixed plantings of perennial plants, shrubs and trees. Low-growing plants are usually planted in the foreground of a mixed flower garden, and taller plants are planted in the background. Plants are selected taking into account environmental requirements and seasonal decorativeness. A mixed flower bed looks very good against the background of a hedge. Border design... Read more
Reservoirs
Ponds are an integral part of the garden. Water soothes, gives rest to the eye and gives peace and tranquility to the garden. There are an unlimited number of options for creating and designing artificial ponds in the garden. The technology for creating reservoirs and caring for them has been developed and mastered. Read about the options for reservoirs in the corresponding section of our website.
The pond is the center of garden design
The variety of styles and forms allows you to experiment and create very impressive landscapes even in relatively small areas. We hope our site will help you with this.
Winter hardiness and frost resistance of plants
Winter hardiness and frost resistance of plants are different concepts, although close in meaning.
Winter hardiness is the ability of plants to withstand a complex of environmental influences during the winter and early spring periods. This includes the ability to withstand spring burns, low temperatures, damping off, soaking, and the ability to withstand frequent temperature changes. Frost resistance is only the ability of a plant to tolerate low temperatures. Frost hardiness zones (USDA zones) are areas into which the territory is divided depending on... Read more
Color solution
Each style assumes the possibility of using a certain color scheme. Some options involve green spaces of the same shade, highlighting accents in key compositions. Other design solutions suggest making the local area colorful.
In this case, it is important to highlight the main background, for example, an English green lawn. The second palette - gray stone buildings, paths, sculptures - will set off the base. Variegated flower beds and clusters of shrubs with leaves of different colors will create the mood and add liveliness and comfort to the area.
There is safety in numbers
Every experienced landscape designer never works alone. During his practice, he acquires partners, usually proven and reliable. Working as a team always has a lot of advantages and guarantees the customer competent execution of all project documentation and further construction work. I advise you to choose not single designers, but landscape studios, workshops, companies that guarantee turnkey order fulfillment. This means that you will not be left halfway with beautifully designed pieces of paper in your hands, in which (anything can happen) a bunch of errors may later be discovered. It’s good if the landscape studio itself is able to take on the construction part, or recommends a close-knit team of professionals who will competently carry out all contract and subcontract work. The process will be supervised by the designer, small design touches that are difficult to express on paper will be taken into account. It’s very bad when, for reasons of reducing the cost of the estimate, the customer finds a team of “shabashniks” on the street. Landscaping is a complex of works that cannot be completed by just one team. Subcontracting will require a variety of specialized specialists. Therefore, it is best when the entire organization is under the guidance of an experienced foreman or engineer who is fluent in a variety of construction technologies in landscaping and knows how to select qualified workers.
Site zones
To create a comfortable living area you will need a house, a garage, a kitchen, and a toilet.
The recreation area will have a summer kitchen with a dining room, a gazebo or terrace, a swimming pool or sauna, a lawn, a hammock or a sun lounger.
In the children's area you can arrange a small cozy playground with a swing, a sandbox, and a house.
The green area is represented by a garden and a vegetable garden. Flower beds and flower beds will be a beautiful decoration or frame for any area.
Modern
The main goal of this design will be the combination of natural principles and modern embodiment. The style is characterized by the rigor of natural lines, the naturalness of the colors used, the functionality and thoughtfulness of each element.
Cost of work
A priori, high-quality design cannot be cheap. Landscape designers who offer you the lowest price are most likely unsure of their abilities and are trying to grab onto any project. For what? For a portfolio and gaining experience. The logistics of conifers from European nurseries alone can cost a decent amount - imagine how much the project will cost.
This is an approximate list of criteria that will help you make a choice. Contact professionals so that you don’t have to redo your garden in the near future.
The article was prepared by specialists from the Agava-M studio.
Services, information about the company and implemented objects can be found at the link. Ask questions in the comments below or by email. Subscribe to our newsletter. Good luck to you and good luck to your family!
Irregular style
This option is the complete opposite of the French style. Most of all, it should resemble small English estates, creating the impression that a person has simply moved into an area suitable for comfortable living.
There is no room for straight lines, everything is smoothed out and slightly asymmetrical; shrubs, flowers and trees give the impression of having grown independently in the most spectacular places. They can give the impression of the slightest carelessness, as if the owner was about to trim them, but was distracted by more important matters.
The only completely well-groomed place will be a perfectly flat lawn.
To embody the style, you don’t need to go beyond the borders. A cozy design can be created on 6 acres.
Regular style
This design is more suitable for large areas (more than 15 acres) and will require additional time. The main idea will be to demonstrate the superiority of man over nature. To do this, they use the principles of strict geometric shapes and regularity of lines, absolute symmetry.
In this design, even flowers must bloom at a strictly defined time. The centerpiece of the design is usually a large lawn or fountain. Sculptures, topiaries, forged arches and strict pergolas are used as decorations.
The prototype of this design is considered to be the royal palaces of France or the more familiar Peterhof.
High tech
Modern styles are subordinated to the ideas of minimalism in everything.
Clear paths will lead owners exactly where they wanted to go, without any deviations along the way, using no more than three colors will help calm the eyes and nerves, modern technologies are designed to make life convenient with a minimum amount of resources expended.
Flowers and shrubs are small in size and there are relatively few of them.
Second tip
Another problem of the current market is designers who have received knowledge in this specialization as part of express training. These courses do not always provide the necessary knowledge to work in the landscape sector. Of course, there are frequent exceptions when a specialist has completed a 3-month course and at the same time independently studied more professional literature than in 5 years of university study.
It is difficult to assess the level of knowledge, but it is possible to understand the professional position. Feel free to ask about qualifications, professional diploma and educational institution. A good specialist will not be offended by such questions.
Japanese style
The landscape design of the courtyard in the Japanese style stands out from all other ethnic designs. Here, each item is located in a clearly defined place and carries a certain meaning.
It is necessary to have water and stones, a place to contemplate nature and get to know yourself. The style is distinguished by its apparent asymmetry, but at the same time creates an amazing impression of harmony and simplicity.
Availability of a fleet of specialized equipment
A designer who is truly interested in creating beautiful and functional designs will usually have established relationships with transportation companies. The best option is when you are recommended a specialist working for a studio with a personal fleet of vehicles. What does this give? Delivery of the project on time and reduction of financial costs for landscaping the site. After all, the need to find a manipulator or excavator disappears.
Pay attention to the terrain
It's no secret that even the most compact areas can be visually expanded using various techniques and methods. One of them is elevation changes. But first, you need to surround the entire area with a fence on a parapet so that the terrain on the neighboring area does not create a contrast with your multi-level terrain.
The “rock garden” looks very interesting and fascinating. To create it, the site is divided into three successive zones, the soil is moved to zones remote from the entrance, and stone paving is used to mark the boundaries.
| Do not try to make large changes in elevation, especially in a small area. The three-tier division is convenient because to further elevate the upper zone, you can use the technique of deepening the lower one. First, try a difference of ten to fifteen centimeters - even such a slight difference can radically change the visual perception of the area. As you form each terrace, carefully distribute the soil until you achieve a perfect horizontal plane. |
Of course, dividing into tiers is not the only way to improve the terrain on the site. U-shaped areas, areolas around trees, sunken paths, and raised flower beds can also be used to expand the space.
Country style
Country is still the most popular style. Bright and elegant, it is subject to the principles of simplicity and ease. For the most part, there are no specific rules in country styles; they are invented by the site owners themselves, based on a reasonable combination of all items.
For such a design, household items (buckets and wheelbarrows as flower beds, a haystack, a fence or a “forgotten” rake), homemade crafts, and creations made of wood and stones are ideal.
The style gives the impression of the best features of country life and has several varieties, of which the most popular remains the soft lilac Provence with its herbs and abundance of flowers and hand-made decorations.
The Moorish style will amaze with bright colors of decoration and a riot of plants, the Mediterranean style will transport you to the charming bliss of a hot afternoon on the seashore, the colonial style will combine a small vegetable garden and comfortable relaxation in a house or recreation area near a pond.
Herbs and flowers in creating spectacular landscapes
The main element of almost any garden is the lawn, which serves as a lush green background for other objects.
Flowers add brightness and beauty to the landscape. They are planted in the form of luxurious flower beds and flower beds, focusing on the principles of harmonious unification and combination.
- A flowerbed is a flower garden of regular geometric shape, mainly created from herbaceous perennials and annual crops;
- Border - the framing of paths, beds, flower beds in gardens, created from low-growing flowers of the same species;
- Arabesque - fancy patterns of flowers or a flowerbed of an unusual winding shape;
- Monogarden is a separate area in the garden reserved for growing one type of plant (rosary, peony garden, gladularium, lilinarium, syringarium, floxarium, dahlia, iridarium);
- Rabatka - a bed along the garden, path, building;
- Mixborder is an oblong-shaped flower garden that combines a variety of plants.
