Planning the Home Landscape
A landscape which is designed properly is a
source of enjoyment for
the entire family, it enhances a community and adds to the
resale
value of your property. Landscape design involves much more
than
placing trees, shrubs and other plants on the property. It
is an art
which deals with conscious arrangement or organization of outdoor
space for human satisfaction and enjoyment.
Some of its major goals include:
-
Organizing
and developing the site for maximum use and
pleasure.
-
Creating a visual relationship between the house and the
site.
-
Reducing landscape maintenance to a practical level.
Americans spend tremendous amounts of money landscaping
their
businesses, homes, streets, parks, schools, etc. Much of
this money is
wasted, however, because of little or no planning. People
cannot
understand how to landscape until they know why they
landscape.
There are several reasons why people landscape: some think
it
improves the appearance of their place; others like to grow
plants; still
others just want their place to look pretty. Too often these
landscapes
dominate rather than serve. Masses of plants or other
materials in the
landscape may take up a large portion of the space and leave
little
room for people. So how does the designer
arrange space so that people will find it
useful, beautiful, meaningful and functional?
His methods include:
-
Observing and analyzing the habits of the people who will be
using the space, including their needs, desires and how much
space each of their activities requires.
-
Studying past landscaping methods.
-
Surveying available materials to solve design
requirements.
-
Analyzing the environment of the site including the view
in and
around the site. The ecology of the site should be carefully
analyzed since it is important in determining the design.
Not all landscaping improves the appearance of a building.
The work of
an insensitive designer can subdue a building, conceal
important
features or contradict the architect's intent. Good
landscape design can
significantly improve the building's appearance by adding
warmth,
livability and personality. It can also relate a building to
its site and
environment and give it the desired degree of dominance.
Growth and change separate landscape designs from other
arts. Most
works of art such as architecture, sculpture and painting
look their
best when new. Landscape designs, however, are at their
worst when
new and improve with age. A well-designed landscape will
seldom look
the same any two months of the year. The urge
to begin planting immediately is almost overwhelming.
Whether you are landscaping a newly-built home or
redesigning an
existing landscape, the results will be much more satisfying
if you plan
first. If you follow the steps provided on this website you
can produce a
plan that will result in a satisfying landscape.
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