Sep
Landscape Designers Can Make a Difference
Landscape designs
Landscape design combines the essential elements of art & science to create a functional, aesthetically pleasing extension of indoor living to the outdoors. It is a part of landscape architecture & allows space & design to reflect creativity. Completely a man made exercise, the purpose of landscape design is to blend technology with nature. To become a landscape designer one must have a working knowledge of art elements & design principles.
Though an architectural field, landscape design has a special aesthetic value. Elements of art include but are not limited to color, line, form, texture & scale. These elements are never independent of each other, but their individual natures should be dealt with care before considering the interactions.
Landscape design is a multi-disciplinary field, including within its fold mathematics, science, engineering, art, technology, social sciences, politics, history, philosophy. Color, line, form, texture & scale are tools which are used in combinations to adjust design the landscape. Design principles include unity, balance, transition, focalization, proportion, rhythm, repetition & simplicity. All these principles interact to yield the intended landscape design.
The landscape designer essentially works on:
? The form, scale & citing of new developments
? Public parks, greenways, golf courses, theme parks & sports facilities
? Housing areas, industrial parks & commercial developments
? Urban design, town & city squares, & pedestrian schemes
? Large or small urban regeneration schemes
? Forest, tourist or historic landscapes, & historic garden appraisal & conservation studies
? Environmental assessment & landscape assessment, planning advice & land management proposals.
? Coastal & offshore developments
The key steps in landscape design are:
? Develop a plot plan.
? Conduct a site analysis.
? Assess family needs & desires.
? Locate activity areas.
? Design activity areas.
? Plant selection & placement.
Important in landscape design:
? Unity is obtained by the effective use of components in a design to express a main idea 
through consistent style. It is emphasized by consistency of character between units in the landscape. Use of elements to express a specific theme within units creates harmony in landscape design.
? Balance is also needed. It refers to the equilibrium or equality of visual attraction. Symmetrical balance is achieved when one side of the design is a mirror image of the other side. There is a distinct dividing line between the two sides. Equal lines, forms, textures or colors are on each side of a symmetrical landscape design.
? Colors are combined into color schemes for practical applications. There is more. Three basic color schemes are monochromatic, analogous & complementary. A monochromatic color scheme consists of different tints & shades of one color & is rarely achieved in its pure form in the landscape design.
? A line is maintained in landscape design with the height of the plants that have been planted. In the overall landscape, line is inferred by bed arrangement & the way these beds fit or flow together.
? The size of the area is to be kept in mind for a definite landscape design.
Landscape designers & Landscape technicians or engineers are employed with landscape construction & service companies. Landscape designers, like garden designers, design all types of planting & green spaces. Right. With rapid modern urbanization, landscape design is fast gaining momentum.
Gardening & landscaping are one of life’s simple joys. Learn more about Landscape design by visiting our Garden Facts web site.
