The key to creating a beautiful, elegant landscape is achieving a harmonious balance between the classic simplicity of nature and the modern architectural elegance of your house. This perfect unity between home and garden provides enjoyable living both inside and outside of your residence. The most basic step in planning any functional and attractive garden design, regardless of how elaborate or how simple it is, is careful consideration to the style of the home, as well as the size of the entire property. With this information, you can decide on an overall landscape design theme and begin to incorporate other essential elements and principles of garden design into your plan. Defining the Elements of Landscape Design There is much more to understanding the basics of landscape design than simply selecting an array of plants and positioning them in your yard. First, there are five key elements that, when properly implemented into your design, will create a comfortable and enjoyable outdoor living area. Line - Lines and geometric patterns can facilitate directional movement through the landscape and showcase important aspects of your space. Scale - An array of colors that present a complementary pattern can bring the entire yard together. Scale - It is important to select plants and trees appropriately scaled to the rest of the landscape surroundings. Texture - The various textures of leaves, stems, and petals add more detail to your garden design. Form - The form and physical attributes of the plant life within the design generates natural patterns that provide appeal and style to your outdoor space. The Seven Principles of Landscape Design The principles of landscape design are the basic concepts used to implement the elements of garden design mentioned above. Unity - Creating unity throughout your outdoor living area, as well as the inside of your home, is one of the most important aspects of a custom landscape design with a professional appearance. Repetition - Repetition and rhythm are generated through the use of color and texture, creating simple patterns in nature that bring a sense of relaxation and tranquility into your outdoor design. Focalization - Lines, shapes, and forms are used to build points of focalization and to direct attention to central focal points in the landscape. Balance - Balance and symmetry work with these other design principles to create a uniform appearance that invites pleasure and pleases the senses. Transition - The transition and flow of the design and each of its components is equally important. Proportion - Proportion, closely related to scale, is also one of the basics of landscape design that require special attention. The Importance of Planning Each of the aspects of landscape design mentioned above play a significant role in garden planning, but attention must also be placed on several other aspects of design for a truly functional outdoor space that blends elegantly with the design of your home. Planning living areas, planting beds, and other elements of your design is much easier with the assistance of a plot plan. You will also want to analyze the soil contents and drainage abilities of your yard to determine the best positioning for your plants, as well as the most appropriate types of plants for your local area and climate. While the basics of landscape design are simple and straightforward, combining these essential elements and principles into the ideal garden plan is not always that easy. Many homeowners rely on the experience of a professional landscape design firm to make the most of their outdoor living space.
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