HO-105: Landscape Design: Kentucky Master Gardener Manual Chapter 17
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University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, HO-105 Food and Environment Cooperative Extension Service Landscape Design Kentucky Master Gardener Manual Chapter 17 By Jan McNeilan, retired Extension consumer horticulturist, and Ann Marie VanDerZanden, former Extension master gardener state coor- dinator, both of Oregon State University. Adapted for use in Kentucky by Rick Durham, consumer horticulture extension specialist and master gardener state coordinator. andscape designs differ depending on how the landscape In this chapter: will be used. Although the principles are the same, a home- owner who wants an aesthetically pleasing, low-maintenance Planning ................................................................242 Llandscape will create a design very different than that of an avid Parts of a Landscape.........................................244 gardener whose main purpose in life is to spend time in the garden. This chapter is not meant to define the art of landscape design Elements and Principles of Design .............246 but rather to help you take a realistic approach to landscape plan- Plant Selection ....................................................247 ning. Your end design should meet your needs and incorporate Drawing a Landscape Plan .............................251 principles of sustainability into an evolving landscape. Kentucky gardeners are fortunate to be able to use a wide variety Renovating an Established Landscape ......254 of plant materials to create landscapes that meet their needs. This Evaluating Landscape Sustainability .........255 available diverse plant material can be used to create outdoor rooms with canopies of trees; walls of shrubs and vines; and carpets of For More Information .......................................256 groundcovers, perennials, and annuals to provide color and interest. Landscape Design Planning Before beginning, consider what type of landscape will suit your Questionnaire .....................................................257 needs. Landscapes reflect many approaches. Examples of landscape types are low-maintenance, water-wise, formal, informal, native, wildlife-attracting, small space/container, shade, and specialty/ collection. Avid gardeners often are collectors who consider plant arrange- ment and placement as their garden develops. While adhering to basic design principles, landscape design for these gardeners is an ongoing process. Just as seasons change, their landscapes take on new looks to include new structures and plants gathered from nurs- eries, garden centers, friends, and neighbors. Merely planting trees and shrubs is not landscaping. Designing a landscape gives you an opportunity to create habitats for people, plants, and wildlife. As you try to preserve clean air, clean water, and landfill space, your challenge is to create a landscape that is both aesthetically pleasing and environmentally sound. A sustainable landscape requires minimal inputs of labor, water, fertilizer, and pesticides to thrive. Creating a sustainable landscape means working toward a thoughtful balance between resources used and results gained. By factoring in environmental considerations, you can create a pleas- ant place that is part of an environmental solution rather than an environmental problem. Cooperative Extension Service | Agriculture and Natural Resources | Family and Consumer Sciences | 4-H Youth Development | Community and Economic Development 242 • Landscape Design CHAPTER 17 Planning structures such as fences, walls, patios, or decks to enhance the human environment The smaller your house, grounds, or and make the landscape more enjoyable. budget, the greater the need for correct Finally, the site analysis will help you and complete planning. Every square foot select plants that best fit your landscape’s of space and every dollar must produce design and purpose. maximum results. Plan for the best use of the site, the least environmental impact, Factors Influencing and minimum upkeep. A master plan is essential to ensure that Landscape Design all work done on the property will blend Factors influencing landscape design into the desired final outcome. Keep in include property characteristics; neighbor- mind that landscape development can be a hood sights and sounds; climate; and family long-term process within the framework of activities, growth, and change. your plan. There is no need to develop your Property characteristics entire lot at once. Completing the land- scape over a five-year period is a feasible In laying out a design, preserve all of your approach. This time frame allows you to site’s best natural features, such as mature evaluate plants as they grow and mature trees, brooks, ponds, rock outcroppings, and generally is more manageable finan- good soil, turf, and interesting variations in cially than doing everything at once. terrain. These natural elements affect the Grading may be needed for a new home ease of construction and enhance landscape site. If you must have grading work done, possibilities. consider ways to save topsoil and protect Carefully survey the area to determine existing trees and vegetation from construc- whether site conditions are a problem or tion damage and soil compaction. they can be incorporated into your design. Examples of problems are thin, over- Site Analysis crowded trees or unstable slopes that may interfere with landscape construction. You For a new landscape, a thorough site also may have to contend with microcli- analysis can help you develop a plan to mates such as windy areas, low places with enhance and maintain your property’s cold air pockets, or areas with poor soil and sustainability. It’s also a useful first step in inadequate water drainage. renovating and changing an existing land- Changes in elevation can add inter- scape. See the landscape design planning est and variety to home landscapes. The questionnaire at the end of this chapter for character of the land—its hills, slopes, and ideas. trees—should determine the basic land- A site analysis will tell you what you have scape pattern. A hilly, wooded lot lends to work with. A thorough understanding itself to an informal or natural design, with of your conditions is important, because in large areas left in their natural state. In such a sustainable landscape, native and intro- a setting, large trees can be retained. Protect duced plants must be well suited to existing native plantings whenever possible. light, moisture, and soil conditions. Although natural slope variations are Your site analysis also will help you an asset, avoid creating too many artificial make the best use of available space in the slopes. Avoid excessive use of terraces or most attractive way possible, while at the retaining walls. If these features are neces- same time enabling you to consider the sary to facilitate construction or control environmental impact of your landscape water drainage, design them to blend into plan. Make the most of the site’s natural the natural terrain. features and advantages. Be sure to include CHAPTER 17 Landscape Design • 243 house house house Figure 1. Daily light pattern. Speckled areas indicate shade. morning noon afternoon Neighborhood sights and sounds are shorter in summer than in winter. Keep good views open and screen out Northern exposures receive the least light those that are undesirable. Often a well- and therefore are coolest. East and west placed shrub or two provides necessary exposures receive more light; western expo- screening. Additionally, well-placed plant- sures are warmer than eastern ones because ings can act as noise barriers. they receive afternoon light. Southern exposures receive the most light and tend to Climate be warmest. Climate includes sunlight, all forms of The main rooms of a house should ben- precipitation, wind, and temperature. In efit from winter sun and summer breezes. the case of a new home, these factors affect You can control the amount of sunlight and how the house is placed on the lot, how the shade by the location of buildings, fences, land is used, and what is planted. Don’t fight and plants. You also can take advantage of the climate; capitalize on its advantages. In shade created by structures or plants on warm regions, enlarge the outdoor liv- your neighbors’ property. ing area. In cold regions, plant so that the Trees have an especially strong effect winter scene is enjoyed from the inside. For on sunlight. When locating trees in your example, evergreens and hedges are pictur- landscape design, consider keeping a sunny esque when covered with snow, ice, or rain area for a vegetable garden while maximiz- droplets. ing shady areas for the house and patio or It is important to study the amount and deck. Deciduous trees (those that shed their location of both sun and shade because leaves) shade the house in summer and individual people respond to them differ- admit sun in winter. ently. Patterns of sun and shade change, Plant trees at a 45-degree angle away Figure 2. Tree planted depending on the time of day and season from the corners of the house (Figure 2); at a 45° angle from the (Figure 1). The sun is higher and shadows when mature they will accent the build- corner of a house. ing. Trees should not block views from windows. Remember that having too many trees shuts out sunlight and reduces air circulation. When renovating an old land- scape, consider how light will change when plants or trees are removed. 244 • Landscape Design CHAPTER 17 Maintenance requirements require less spraying;