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:
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Organizing and developing the site for
maximum use and pleasure.
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Creating a visual relationship between
the house and the site.
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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:
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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.
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Studying past landscaping methods.
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Surveying available materials to solve
design requirements.
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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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