You know, designing a garden looks easy. All you need to do is stick in a few plants, a lawn and maybe a pool and decking area and that’s that…if only things were that easy! In an ideal world, we’d all be born with an innate, inbuilt talent for garden landscaping, but the truth is that it takes years of study and practice. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the basic elements of garden landscaping design.
Line
Line is arguably the most useful and crucial of all design elements. Garden designers Perth-wide integrate this concept into every outdoor space they create. When you think about it, absolutely every single aspect of a garden involves line. Think about fences, paths, lawns and even tree trunks. What do they all have in common? Line! So, when you’re planning your garden, you need to take the line that’s being created by all your additions into account.
Strong lines are popular in garden design as they help to create a focal point that will direct people where to look. Curved lines are useful when you’re creating informal flower beds. They can also add a good bit of interest to a pathway too. In contrast, the use of straight lines creates a sense of crispness and order that’s perfect if you’re creating a formal garden.
Light
You know that sweet spot in time when the light is hitting your favourite place in the garden and everything in life feels amazing? Well, you can actually plant and design your garden in such a way that you make perfect use of all the light and shade available to you. Of course, you can’t control the sun, but you can play up its effects.
As well as natural light, you can also incorporate artificial light into your garden landscaping. Perth landscape gardeners can assist you with all aspects of outdoor lighting so you can show off your yard at its best. For example, a dark area can be highlighted to showcase a particular feature and spotlights can be placed along a pathway to allow it to be seen at night. These are just a few of the possibilities that are available.
Texture
Different visual and tactile textures invite you to touch. They evoke real emotional responses. So, bearing this in mind, you should incorporate texture into your garden to both minimise architectural lines and to contrast plants in groups. You might not even have considered the impact of texture in your garden, but it’s a huge aspect – especially when you’re creating a sensory space.
Generally speaking, you can divide the concept of texture in your yard into fine, coarse and medium plants. Good use of these can add real interest and an attractive aspect that will draw the eye to certain places.
Form
A garden that lacks contrasting, strong forms will be as strange as a song without rhythm. That might sound a little overdramatic and maybe it is, but you get what we mean! The shape and form of objects and plants in a garden provides architectural interest, divides space up and can also enclose areas.
For instance, narrow vertical repeated lines create stability, whereas on its own, a tall thin plant looks peculiar. And, to complement this type of set up, a tall upright fence adds a sense of completeness, security and cohesiveness.
Scale
When we talk about scale in your yard, it simply means the size relationship of one thing to the next. You’d never plant a tree that grows to 50 feet in the middle of a tiny yard, however, a little dwarf tree would look perfect. See what we mean? Scale is everything when it comes to your garden!
So, it’s a good idea to always read up about plants, shrubs and trees before you plant them. Even the loveliest looking tree in the world will look weird if it’s towering in front of your home.
Pattern
Everyone knows what a pattern is. So, to bring your garden together and to make it look good, remember to incorporate rhythmic patterns into it. Consider shadow and light while using pattern to draw the eye to a specific area. Just remember not to go too wild throughout the yard. Bold is good so long as it’s in measured doses!
Another thing to remember is that pattern is perfect for creating backgrounds too. You could lay a herringbone brick path for example and tie it in with your driveway and patio to unify your hardscape. Additionally, landscapers Perth-wide will tell you that pattern can be used to direct visitors through your outdoor space. It’s also crucial to have balance, unity and contrast in your landscape design. Perth landscapers can help guide you in the right direction with this and so many other aspects of planning your ideal garden.
