The Secrets Behind A Well-designed Garden
/The top 3 landscape design elements
There is a mystery behind what lies beneath a well designed garden. Here are some secrets of landscape design and the top 3 elements which I consider in every garden I plan.
Structure: this is the ‘good bones’ of your garden and will continue throughout every season. Structure is often created by vertical elements such as walls, fences, and screens which create a sense of enclosure and divide the garden into ‘rooms’. Trees and hedges also form the structure of a garden and may frame a vista or screen out an undesirable view. Paths which connect the garden areas and direct the traffic flow also form part of the structure of your garden
Balance: is best explained in how we are most comfortable in landscapes that have a sense of balance. There are two major types of balance; Symmetrical that creates a formal look to your garden and asymmetrical that may not be exactly the same on each side but it is still ‘balanced’. Also consider the volume and impact of planted areas versus open spaces and buildings. They all need to balance each other. When gardens get overgrown, they often throw the balance and make you feel crowded-in. If a garden is too sparse and open you may feel exposed, even ‘insecure’ and not use the area as much as you imagined.
Theme: A theme will give your garden a unified and professional look. If you have a small garden stay with one theme and keep it simple. For a large garden its best to have one main theme that ties the garden together. You can add smaller themed areas extra interest. Here are some theme ideas; tropical, desert, beach, cottage, colour, edible, butterfly and bees, fragrant, water, geographical eg. Japanese, Mexican.
The next time you walk around your garden, you may see it in a new way! If you would like help with changes to your garden to incorporate some of these important design elements, contact me on my website contacts page.
This beautiful garden in School Road, Mosgiel is designed by Leisa Browne.