Landscaping Your Garden

BASICS IN LANDSCAPING   

LANDSCAPING is a way of arranging both plants and physical objects in an area to make it aesthetically beautiful and practically useful.

A sample landscape exhibit from the Los Banos Garden Show in Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines

Landscaping is the art and science of arranging softscapes (plants) and hardscapes (boulders, garden ornaments, driftwoods, etc) in an aesthetically appealing and functional way.  The growing of ornamental plants has become part of our culture, almost like a tradition in homes, offices and other establishments like shopping malls, public parks, parking lots, and resorts.  With more people growing a wide variety of plants for several objectives, a definite need arises for organizing plants beautifully to fit a certain purpose according to some principles of design.

Thus, landscaping was born.  The purpose of landscaping ranges from providing beauty, convenience, privacy or pleasure to a selected area.  The concern of  landscaping is primarily people, their activities, their needs and comfort.   In the same way, landscaping is also concerned in providing people with emotional satisfaction and pleasant sensory emotions in a garden.  People are stimulated by pleasant surrounding which should be kept interesting and beautiful by changes in color, line, and form, thus a garden becomes a harbor of surprises and a haven to soothe the physical well-being.

Some of the elements of landscaping design includes form, color, line and texture, As you may know, plants have different forms, shapes, sizes, color and texture, which you need to consider in making a design.  You also have to consider the size and appearance of the plants 5 – 20 years from now.  The different elements are discussed here:

a.       Form – refers to the shape and structure of an object; are the plants V-shaped, rounded, columnar, or drooping.  When several plants are grouped together, they constitute a delineating form or shape which should be harmonious.  Vertical form lead the eye upwards, while horizontal forms pull vision to the ground.

Planning the shape of plants on Paper and how they would look like is one preliminary requirement in landscape.  A landscape floor plan is another.

b.      Color – this is the visible feature of design.  This is the visual sensation produced by the different wavelength of light.  The color of the foliage and the flowers must be taken into consideration when making a choice.   You can have color in your garden all year round, but too much variety of colors will create visual confusion.  Flowering plants are  jewels of a landscape, so does colored foliage.  Place them in clumps or drifts instead of in random fashion.

Proper placing of plants of different color in clumps or groups is an orderly way of landscaping an area.

c.       Line – it is the function of two landscape materials such as a path and a border plant. Straight line gives a feeling of formality, while curved lines are less formal and radiate a feeling of gracefulness and softness.

Winding path shows an informal character of a landscape.  Notice also the ground covers used and the grass as turf.

d.      Texture – refers to visual effects of surface quality.  Texture can be smooth or rough, especially leaf size.  Fine texture of the latter gives an illusion of distance while the course texture (or large leaves) gives an illusion of closeness

PARTS OF A LANDSCAPE.

1.       Ground covers – any small plant used to cover the soil thereby reducing maintenance, weed population and erosion.  They also provide a background against which shapes and colors of flowers are displayed to the best advantage. E.g. dwarf peanut plant, wandering jew, miniature Sanseviera, Peperomia, Episcia, Flame Violets,

2.               Turf – any grass used to cover a wide open area usually exposed to the sun (e.g. in an open field or lawn). Grasses used are usually Bermuda grass, Carabao grass, Blue grass.  Turf grasses are usually maintained monthly with trimming, watering and fertilization.

Carabao grass is an ideal turf material to cover soil from erosion  The  lawn is also use as "toilet" by pets like cats and dogs.

3.       Edging –plants used to define pathways or flower beds, usually plants used are of colorful flowers and foliage.  E.g. Desert rose, Cosmos, African daisy, Caladiums, San Francisco, Boat Lily, Portulaca, Episcia,.

4.       Accent or Focal Point – one or more plants used as a prominent feature in the garden.  They can be used in pairs on either side of a formal doorway or gate or at the beginning or end of a walk.  They can also be flowering plants which provides color to a design .. like orchids, bromeliads, red palm, Bougainvillae,

Orchids are one of the accents used as they have vibrant colors

5.       Borders , Hedges and Screens – continuous planting of any shrub or tree in which individual plants are close together to define an area or screen off an unattractive view.  The height and thickness of a screen depends on how much of a view you want shut off.  A border or hedge separates one area from another (e.g. your garden from the outside area). Plants used should tolerate repeated pruning.  E.g. Golden duranta, dwarf bamboo, Santan, Yellow Bell, Tsaang Gubat, Kamuning, Pisonia umbellifera (Lettuce tree), Polysias. some plants can be used as Topiary.

6.       Barrier – a plant used as a fence, usually which can grow thick and with thorns / spines.  – e.g. Bougainvillae, Citrus, Kakawate, Roses,

7.       Accent / Specimen Plant – a plant of special beauty grown to be exhibited alone.  A specimen plant allowed to develop into full natural beauty demands space to be effective.  It is charming in big gardens and usually out of place in small garden. E.g. Magnolia tree, Orchids, Giant Foliage Anthuriums, Staghorn Fern,

8.       Foundation Plants – Shrubs of dense growth grown near or along a building.  They make the transition from ground to house gradual so that the plant may seem tied part of the house.  E.g. Coconut and Manila palms, Mango Tree, Pine trees or Cypress, Cycads,

9.       Canopy – a tree or a group of vines in a trellis used to provide shade or covering in  garden. E.g. Acacia tree, a large boungainvillae in a trellis, flowering vines (garlic vine, yellow bell, Thumbergia) in a long trellis along a walkway.

Trees provide a sense of age in a garden, and also shade , especially in parking lots.

HARDSCAPES (Structures in a Garden)

1.       1. Boulders / Rocks                                  

                                            

2.      2. Statues / Religious images (eg. Mother Mary in a Grotto, Praying Jesus in a Garden; St. Francis of Assisi, Small Dwarfes or Elves; Geron Birds, Small Mushrooms, Statue of Dogs.

3.       3. Pathway / Walkway.

4.       4. Water Feature (ponds, waterfalls, fountain, stream, small lake, bird drinking fountain)

       5. Bridges

Red colored structures symbolizes "fire" in oriental landscapes. rocks or pebbles underneath the bridge simulate water.