LANDSCAPING YOUR HOME: DO IT YOURSELF

All of us have the desire to live in a beautiful and clean environment. This desire resulted in creative horticulturists gradually developing concepts of landscaping with the purpose of achieving beauty in the living environment.

In the past, people were satisfied to live in a concrete or stone house that formed a part of the urban concrete jungle that was almost devoid of green vegetation. However things are changing because people are currently aware of the relationship of the environment to their satisfaction, health and well being.

I am sure for a long time; you may have been thinking to landscape your backyard or any space surrounding around your home so as to increase its visual appeal, or to make a statement to visitors in your home.

Most of us think of having an intricate or complicated flower garden or lawn or patio surrounded with hedges consisting of different beautiful plants. Unfortunately that’s not the way to achieve a great landscape for your home. You need a carefully thought out design of how various elements of the design are going to interact together once they are interpreted on the actual land.

QUALITIES OF A GOOD LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Every landscape has elements; consisting of plants, passages, footpaths or just open places. Non plant elements include surfaced roads, pavements, buildings, fences, terraces, mountains, water pools and small lakes; thus a good design shows the harmonious interaction of the aforesaid elements.

Consult professionals who will draw a design that can be easily interpreted and transferred to the ground. Simplicity is the key; a design that posses this quality avoids the overuse or overtreatment of any element in the landscape. Elements should be sparingly used except on a few occasions like grass in a field.

Secondly a good design creates emphasis to certain elements of a landscape, say; a building, pond, door, wall, road or a path. These elements are brought into focus, by using the distinctiveness of diverse plants for example color, height, and shape of leaves, trunk or its form.

Using this principle, a chosen element in the landscape is made the center of attention; while allowing the separate parts of the design to be attracted together. Thirdly, unity must be put into consideration. It refers to the arrangement that pulls all elements of the design to one symphony; so that elements appear to belong to one whole unit.

Unity must exist in a design. It is visual; it is the eyes that have the perception. Unity is achieved where plants show a good relationship in terms of; form, color and texture and through uniformity. Monotony can result, where uniformity has been overemphasized; an unacceptable state.

Fourthly balance in a design is an aspect that implies stability by establishing a pleasant visual weight distribution. Natural balance is applied; which can be, either symmetrical or asymmetrical.

Finally a good design takes proportion into consideration. Proportion refers to the aesthetic relationship or restfulness of the desired size relationship of one part of design to another and to the whole. This is illustrated where a storey building is in proportion with upright growing trees. This can contrast with a single storey house in proportion with a spreading tree. A small patio will be un-proportional with a large lawn.

A large terrace will be in proportion with a small lawn. To make objects or elements of equal size will not be good to view; rather it is not a matter of equality but should be complimentary.

Principle of variety is an aspect that prevents monotony. Variety adds dimension to the design which is reflected with changes that occur at different times of the year.

Harmony and rhythm refers to unity and completeness of design. This quality is difficult to achieve, but; it reflects completeness and shows the pleasing relationship of sizes and shapes. Without harmony, separate components will lose their identity of belonging to the whole.

To achieve rhythm, the same groups of plants are arranged at the same interval (space) this gives a sense of movement and establishes a visual line for eye movement.

On the other hand, scale shows the visual relationships of the objects in the design with respect to size. Establish a pleasing relationship with things in the design; especially those that appear jointed.

Plants especially trees have been used to bring human experience linked to inanimate things. Inanimate structures are difficult to link into design; but trees bring life, by making the building be seen between plant materials.

Finally, line should be incorporated into the landscape design, because it is a means that guides the eye and express emotion. It denotes the shape or structure of the design.