Friday, January 19, 2018

Residential Landscaping Design Principles You Should Follow

By William Parker


Landscaping is one of the ways we can improve the value of our property, but most importantly improve the aesthetic and functional appeal. There are several ways you can achieve this. For instance, you can set up an eco-friendly garden in the front yard instead of a lawn. You can also design some beautiful walkways. Likewise, you can improve the backyard with carefully constructed outdoor kitchen, fire feature, and a pool among others. This can seem to be daunting tasks, however, when you have the right skills or look for the right person you can revamp your home. Here are some useful principles to apply in your residential landscaping project.

The first one is the law of significant enclosure. This one is more of a law than a rule, so this is absolutely critical while implementing your gardens. Typically, gardens should be enclosed. That is, creating a sense of refuge. This design law stipulates that we should be able to feel enclosed when the horizontal space is not more than three time the vertical edge of a space.

Besides this, you should also take into consideration the regulating line when placing different elements. It is assumed that there is an imaginary line that is generated by existing features. This could be the edge of a house or a tree. The line should guide you organize your design in a way that is orderly and cohesive.

The use of golden rectangles will help you in setting up the proportions. This Golden ration is a design principle that is widely seen on Great Pyramids at Giza. It states that the ratio of the long side to the sum of the short and long side is equal to the ration of the short side and the long side. Mathematically, the golden ratio is about 1: 1.6. You can apply this when laying out the patios, lawns, arbors, and terraces.

Among the most important considerations that will help you in your project is sizing. Know that size matters. So, if you were to choose between a small and bigger alternative always go with the latter. Even if it seems so awkward at the moment, you will not regret it several years from today.

The way you implement your tree planting plan matters a lot. Always start with the biggest first and the smallest last. This way, you will avoid undoing the efforts made at each stage. For instance, preparing your bed first before planting trees is a recipe for a disaster. This is because you will destroy the bed when you are laying the trees.

Besides planting bigger first, you should also try to plant in masses. That is, try to plant several plants of a certain type in one area rather than having several species mixed together. It helps in creating a more striking appearance.

Finally, you have to put a lot of emphasis on ensuring that your plants are well planted. This is even more important than any of the above. Make sure that they are planted at the right height, and sufficiently sized.




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