Basic Principles Of Garden Design
Garden design is often referred to as a form of living art, and thus is far from an exact science. The practice has been around since pre history, but the earliest known examples we have are that of structured Egyptian gardens around 4,000 years ago.
If you fancy changing your garden a bit and further exploring this ancient art, the best advice I have is to get out and give it a go. As with all art forms, the best way to learn is to get stuck in and practice. The great thing about this is that nothing is permanent. If you decide you don’t like the arrangement you end up with, it can easily be changed.
There are many books, guides and courses on lots of aspects of garden design, but there are some good basic principles to get you started:
- Harmony
This is a hard concept to write about fully. In essence it means the sum of the parts of the garden, and how they work as a whole entity. There are endless combinations of elements that you can use here. Some of the common tricks are using limited colour palettes, similar plant types in different areas and strong focal points within the garden, like stone water features. Before starting the design, you should decide upon a theme, and most importantly stick to it.
- Balance
This covers the basic structure of the garden, and is generally the most recognisable part of the garden. It ranges from 17th and 18th century formal gardens with rigid lines to the flowing modern design of the landscape movement. This also includes the textures and types of plants used, a vital factor, and ornamental objects and garden furniture like stone benches or carvings.
- Flow
As with many artistic disciplines, the flow is how the garden is composed and how the eye is drawn in certain areas. The idea is to design this as naturally as possible, both to suit the user and the planting, and should include open and closed areas, and different vistas. The final item to consider when designing for this element is existing or planned exterior items, like furniture and water features.
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