Landscape Design

Competencies 17.00-21.00

Landscaping Careers

What is Landscaping?
Landscaping

is a profession that includes

designing, installing, and maintaining the
outdoor human environment.
There are 3 branches of the landscaping
industry
Landscape Architecture
Landscape

Contractors
Landscape Maintenance

Landscape Architects
Licensed

professions
Conceptualize and plan the outdoor
environment or landscape for residential
and commercial clients.
Landscape designers usually do actual
drawings for residential landscapes.

Landscape Contractors
Carry

out the installation or actual

construction of the landscape plan
Often use subcontractors to do special
work such as pools, electrical work,
stonework, etc.

Landscape Maintenance
Extended

care of
existing landscapes
The care and upkeep
of the landscape after
installation

Design-build Firms
Landscape

businesses that handle

everything from the initial contact with the
client through design and construction as
well as long-term care and maintenance.

Landscape Nursery Worker

Professional

who sells and installs landscape

plants and related materials.

Types of Landscape Plans

Types of Landscape Plans

There

are three types of plans used in

landscaping
Sequential
Computer Assisted
Graphics

Landscape Plans

Sequential Plans
Each

part of the plan is increasingly more

specific and detailed.
Includes
Functional

diagrams
Preliminary designs
Final Plans

Sequential Plans-Functional
Diagrams
Begin

the arrangement of the clients

program on the site.
Called bubble diagrams because they
use loosely drawn freeform shapes to
represent areas or spaces
Help the designer make decisions
concerning layout and sizes and the use
of each area.

Sequential Plans-Preliminary
Designs
Break

the bubbles to show first draft vision of

how each landscape area will be shaped.
Landscape is given its form, type of materials to
be used, and application of landscape design
principles.
Simple without real details, but the horizontal
and vertical relationships between objects and
areas are now included.
A number of these may be shown before final
plans are made.

Sequential Plans-Final Plans

Use

suggestions and reactions of the

client to make a master drawing that is
graphically detailed and specific in its
intent for the landscape.
Include identified plants, paving patterns,
and other specific information.
Can also include construction drawings for
the landscape contractor or subcontractor
Graphics are designed to impress

Computer Assisted
Also

called drawing
board
CAD (Computer
Aided Design)
systems are
accelerated drafting
systems, designed to
draw landscape plans
using a personal
computer.

Graphics
Consists

of letters and numbers

Free-hand

lettering
Mechanical lettering
Computer lettering

Landscape Principles and

Procedures

Principles of Design
Balance
Focalization

of Interest

Simplicity
Rhythm

and Line
Proportion
Unity

Balance
Materials

are distributed evenly on opposite

sides of a central axis
Three types of balance:
Symmetric
Asymmetric
Proximal/distal

Macro-range-the

viewer sees the landscape

from the most distant vantage point
Closer range-the views from other locations not
as distant

Symmetric Balance
One

side is a
reflective mirror
image of the opposite
side
Most formal type of
balance

Asymmetric Balance
Each

side has as much interest as the

other
Not a duplicate of the other side

Proximal/Distal Balance
Balances

far

right and left as well as near and

Focalization of Interest
Selects

and positions visually strong items

in the landscape composition to create
focal points
Draws the eye of the viewer to one major
feature in each use area
Example:

corner planting

Simplicity
Seeks

to make viewers comfortable within

the landscape
Excludes any unnecessary changes in
shape, color, direction, etc.

Rhythm and Line

Repeating

something at a standard
interval or pattern creates rhythm
Lines establish the shape and form of the
landscape
Replicating strong existing lines such as
the lines of a house or a pool
Functions of line plantings include
foundation plantings, block a view, frame a
view, and provide privacy.

Proportion
The

size relationships
between all the
features of the
landscape including
vertical, horizontal,
and spatial
relationships

Proportion
Will

maintain proper
proportional
relationships in a
landscape between
Buildings

and people
Buildings and plants
Plants and people
Plants and plants
Masses and soils

Unity
All

the separate parts contribute to the

creation of the total design
Ties together individual parts of each area
by:
Repeating

prominent colors
Repeating construction materials
Continuing interior design themes to outdoor
rooms
Repeat plant species
Raise patios, decks, and porches to door level

Landscape Processes
Process

is a sequence of steps to reach a

goal
There are three parts to the landscape
process
Project

development
Project maintenance
Design

Project Development Process

Includes

determining need or objective

Design process
Accepting the design
Contracting and subcontracting
Landscaping
Acceptance
Billing and payment

Project Maintenance Process

Determining

need or desire
Selecting landscape maintenance
company which assesses the needs and
presents a proposal
If the proposal is accepted, the company
schedules and does the work
Customer is billed

Design Process
Site

analysis and program analysis

Interior Landscaping

Interior Landscaping
Called

interior plantscaping or interiorscaping

Purposes of Interior Landscaping

Add

color
Add textures
Add softness
Add life
Increase employee
productivity
Decrease employee
absenteeism
Add oxygen

Provide

herbs for
cooking, medicine, or
fragrance
Add beauty and
comfort by combining
all of the previously
mentioned purposes

Benefits of Interior Landscaping

Adds

color, texture, softness, life and

oxygen to interior plantscape
Increases employee productivity
Decreases employee absences from work
Provides herbs for cooking, fragrance, or
medicine

Disadvantages of Interior
Landscaping
Reduced

light
Reduced root system
Dependant upon people for watering
Build-up of soluble salts from fertilizer
Plugging stomata from dust on leaves
Damage from heating, air conditioning,
and cleaning chemicals

Disadvantages of Interior
Landscaping
Growing

medium
Only plants that will grow inside can be
used
Picking or breaking leaves by people
using the interior building area

Benefits of Exterior Landscaping

Adds

color, texture, and life

Adds aesthetic value (beauty)
Adds economic value to property
Adds comfort (shade)
Adds privacyborders, fences, etc.
Helps prevent erosion
Can use larger exterior plants
Rain natural soil provide most of required water
Gets natural light

Disadvantages of Exterior
Landscaping
May

get too much rain and drown

Natural soils may have diseases, insects,
improper pH, etc.
Natural soils may be shallow or rocky
Natural outdoor soils may be subject to
erosion
Weed and insect control is more difficult
Large areas of landscaping costs more
More labor is required to establish outdoor
landscape

Methods of Planting Ornamental

Plants

Planting Ornamental Plants

Tools

vary depending
upon type and size of
plants from bulb
planter, trowel, spade,
shovel to power
augers and front end
loaders.

Planting Ornamental Plants

Hole

should be larger than plant roots and

soil prepared so that new roots will grow in
it.
Methods of installation are determined by
root form whether bare-rooted, balled-andburlapped or containerized

Balled and Burlapped Plants

Balled

and burlapped plants have a round

soil ball of roots wrapped in burlap fabric.
Planted in flat-bottomed, straight-sided
hole that is deeper and wider than the ball.
Backfill soil should fill the hole enough to
raise the plant to the level at which it grew
in the nursery.
Loose burlap around top of plant.
Mounded ring of soil around plant to catch
water.

Balled and Burlapped Plants

Containerized Plants
Use

the same type hold, mounded ring,

etc. as balled and burlapped.
In addition, the plant must be removed
from the container
Roots should be unwound or cut at two
inch intervals if pot-bound

Bare-rooted Plants
Have

to have a
mound or dome in the
bottom of the hole to
spread roots and
direct roots to grow
downward.

Planting Ornamental Plants

Tall

plants, even small trees, need to be

staked to prevent blowing over.
Mulching should be done to help retain
water, prevent weeds, improve
appearance, and minimize temperature
fluctuations.
Water adequately and frequently enough
for healthy plants.

Handling Ornamental Plants

Balled

and burlapped plants should be

handled by the root ball
Container grown plants should be handled
by the container until removed and then by
the root mass