The design of the garden is no less important than that of the interior of our home. It emphasizes our style and is exposed to the first glance when visited by outsiders or bystanders around the fence. Learn a few basic but very effective principles in the design of outdoor space that will make the landscape attractive.
What makes a garden landscape beautiful?
When you enter a garden and you have the feeling that everything is in place – then we can talk about a suitable and beautiful design. Whether your open space is large or small – there are a few important things to emphasize.
Your success as a designer largely depends on the following elements in landscape design:
- Colors – you can emphasize one color or one color range or a combination of contrasting and complementary shades.
- Texture – mixtures of soft, rough, curly, thick, round, pointed, fuzzy leaves, bark or petals.
- Heights, sizes and number of vegetation – from tiny to large, short to tall, single or mass.
- Following a line – the leading goal here is to follow a line of harmony in it. It can be straight, curved, vertical or horizontal.
- Focal points – specific views from different places.
Flowers
Flowering vegetation is the greatest strength in a garden – they can look very impressive, but care must be taken not to get a cluttered effect. Design the shades so that while walking you can admire a color range that transitions from dark to light, or vice versa. Or watch how the different colors play with each other, or reflect the colors of the house, or mix or not with the colors of the neighbors.
The good news is that you can make the garden change color every season and thus feel in a whole new place. To do this, plant different colors for different seasons – for example, pink is a very fresh color for spring, white in summer, and yellow and orange reminiscent of autumn.
Here are some tips for color composition:
- Colors that change with the seasons can attract attention throughout the year.
- Purple flowers with blue-green leaves can look great on bright yellow flowers, giving contrast to each.
- Pink shades or combinations of pink to purple colors is a classic step to create a gentle space, which exudes calm and attractiveness.
- The purple, green and red colors of the leaves can be mixed – you get a very good effect, even if it sounds a little risky.
By including more colors, you can play many scenarios. For example, the same flowers in different shades is a very good solution – the rose is the classic option.
If you want to literally brighten up the outside space, add warmer and more saturated colors.
To create the illusion of making too small a space look bigger, make a composition of dark, intense shades on the front and larger, lighter colors on the back. Achieving the opposite effect – to shrink the garden, plant bright flowers at the back and lighter, softer at the front.
Plant texture in landscaping
The texture can be smoother or rougher, which is achieved with the help of appropriate vegetation. Each form plays a different role in nature and will be found naturally in different types of environments.
The desert, the tropics or the mountain landscape? There is vegetation everywhere in these places, but it is very different and radiates a different mood.
The element of scale
What do you mean by scale in the garden? It is about the connection between plants and their environment.
Using scale as a criterion, you can design your landscape in a way that reflects the neighborhood perfectly.
Here’s how:
- If you live in a rich neighborhood with a lot of space, use mostly large plants. Such are trees and flowering shrubs that stand out against the rest of the background, large flower beds are also a good solution.
- For small house areas, make a natural extension of the neighbors’ landscape – use smaller versions of the same types of flowers as theirs and choose colors that match their houses and / or yours.
- In a neighborhood of medium-sized houses that are located nearby, you can plant small smaller trees, enhanced by smaller flower beds, or a few flowering shrubs with lawn or gravel in between. Plant brighter flowers at the front and lighter ones at the back.
Sticking to a specific line
By sticking to one line, I mean creating something that leads to another, next, and so on. It is this step that creates a good harmony and order in the external space. Following the direction can be classic straight, with slight bends and curves, vertical or horizontal movement.
The line actually aims to significantly improve the design of the garden by emphasizing a certain shape or object – for example, growing ivy to a tall eucalyptus tree or to direct the first glance away from the shortcomings in your yard (from excavated areas, compost pile, etc.).
- If you want to design a more casual design, make sidewalks, put rocks and small hills, place plants in a curving, curved pattern, etc.
- For a more elegant and luxurious look, bet on a straight line and some sharp corners.
- Tall vegetation can also mentally go into a lower line and create a diagonal of green vegetation.
- French style in the garden provides for the presence of sculpted plants, forming formal, angular patterns.
- There are many other suggestions from which you can get ideas.
Focal points of the landscape
The focal point is the creation of a target in outer space. Instead of clustered flowers arranged randomly or filling the empty space between two plants, there should be a clear picture.
We left this step for last, because any vegetation and its reasonable location can be the focus of the garden. Usually for smaller gardens, one to a maximum of two centers is recommended, while for larger scales you can play more with your imagination.
The focus can be on the creation of a beautiful alley, on the front door, on a corner with beautiful vegetation, to aim to direct the gaze to a relaxation area, etc. You can create a cozy corner with a bench near the fountain for birds. The choice is the least limited, and to get better ideas – look at different photos.
And remember that this is probably the most important part of the project, although not a single corner should be overlooked.
If, despite our advice, you find it difficult to imagine the future landscape design, then be sure to draw a pattern with a pencil, make the necessary changes and stick to it. In case you find it impossible to cope with the task, trust the experts in the field.
