Earth Designs - Garden Design Series

Good Garden Design

Garden Design must be guided by key principles to ensure that it really is good. It is important to take principles into account when considering changing, restructuring or indeed any kind of design within one's own garden.

Garden Function

It is no easy task to design a garden and there are several guidelines that deserve the utmost consideration as to make mistakes within this area can be costly and time consuming. Firstly it is important to begin with the fundamental concerns of garden design. The commodity (function), firmness (in terms of soils, hard walls and other structural points) and aesthetic pleasure of the garden should be the initial consideration. Of course not all gardens need a function and indeed some types of gardens may not feasibly provide a function such as some roof gardens, whereas other gardens such as a vegetable garden may not need to be pleasing to the eye. Whatever the type of garden that is desired, combined with the type of garden one originally had: it must be looked at in terms of guiding principles.

Design Reality When designing a garden it is essential to realise what actually can be done. Where a garden is located can be a deciding factor in its design. Simply whether there is a pleasant view outside, the view can impact design. If the garden is in the city or country, whether it is an open or enclosed garden or example if it is in area where there is little sunlight there is little point in acquiring plants that require sunlight. The size of the garden is also important to its design as some designs create or maximise use of space in small gardens (such as inbuilt benches with underneath storage) or can unite the features of a large garden. The features of a garden such as fountains and statues, along with flowerbeds are also important as they need a degree of maintenance. The feasibility of the level of maintenance must also be considered as a high maintenance garden would not suit someone who frequently travels away on business. Location, size and owner/users are key factors in determining how design should proceed.

Artistic Principles

Further to this some more principles relating to art come in to practice in the garden. Experts often recommend that the elements of colour, form, line and texture are brought into the creative process of garden design. There are a variety of ways in which colour can be used to create a beautiful garden. It can be used to create simplicity and balance with the simple repetition of three colours or to draw additional light into a sheltered garden. Colour can also be used to reflect different themes that have meaning for the users of the garden or it can be preserved in different plants which reflect different seasons. Indeed different plants can create a different garden look for all four seasons. The form of the garden is also important as this can re-designate space, making a small garden appear larger for example and capture different ideas and themes such as weeping plant forms surrounding a water feature. The design of a garden can also dictate where the human eye glances by using effective lines in the garden. For example focal points such as a statue in a rose garden or a humming bird in a cutting garden can both be complementary to a chosen theme or function of a garden. Other ways of making use of line include the use of twin objects at either end of a garden path that will draw people to the end. The use of art in garden design can become fairly complex as it draws together a knowledge of art and aesthetics and also a knowledge of horticulture. It is useful to refer to a professional garden designer if you are not prepared to undertake extensive research on both subjects as there are numerous faux pas that are easy to make -- such as the misuse of accent boulders. A white square boulder complemented by a red, round boulder creates an inconsistency of character that disrupts themes and causes imbalance.

Diverse Disciplines

It is also worth mentioning at this point that depending on the size, location, needs, desires and current condition of the garden a lot of work may need to be undertaken from a diverse range of disciplines such as hard landscaping, planting, carpentry, architecture, stone masonry, sculpting and electrics. This is because different people have different lifestyles and want gardens to suit different purposes. Someone who desires a low maintenance garden may require work from a stone mason, carpenter and an architect as gardens that contain more wood and stone require less maintenance than those with a range of plants to attend to. A family's garden might also have differing needs to suit. Lighting is popular now and it can also serve as a safety as well as an aesthetic measure for families with children. Effective lighting in a well designed garden that is used to accentuate certain features can increase the value of a house which is why new disciplines such as electrics have been introduced more recently in garden design. While these newer disciplines allow greater creative scope and choice, the difficulty in using all these disciplines is it requires the skills of project management and it can be incredibly time consuming. The use of a professional designer can eliminate these problems and also ensure that homeowners profit and reap the benefits of a garden with lighting and other desirable features at the time of resale.

Good garden design, then, is a complex undertaking, requiring much research and planning. Careful consideration needs to be given to guiding principles, key factors, artistic elements, a range of disciplines and investment to create the ideal garden which can often be best augmented by consultation with the experts.

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