How to design a landscape: account for change
Landscape design differs from interior design because of one simple word: CHANGE. When designing inside, once you decide on a paint color, floor covering, or woodwork, it stays that way.
A landscape is dynamic. It changes over the course of one year between the seasons. It also changes over the course of many years as it grows. A person must really think about the big picture. A common mistake of a homeowner is to go to the local big box store and purchase what looks good in the store and plant it too close to the house. It is extremely important to think about how a shrub or tree will grow over time, especially if it will be near the house. Incorrect planning can cause real damage to your home and expensive fixes.
Anchors such as larger shrubs and trees are very important and must be planned with care. They start the design and give it the bones. Perennials and annuals are used to complement these anchors.
A good design has to account for the rate of growth over time. Evergreens tend to grow more slowly than deciduous shrubs or trees of the same type. No one wants to have mismatched sized shrubs or trees, especially when symmetry is an important part of any design.
One must also think about how all the landscape plants change over the season. Some perennials flower in the spring, while others in July, August, or even September. If all the plants in your landscape flower at the same time, it will look beautiful for 2 weeks (the common length of prime blooming of perennials). After that 2 weeks, the landscape will have no flower power for the rest of the year. On top of planning flowering time, the perennials (both flowers and foliage) need to complement each other as wel as the color of the house.
Not all shrubs and trees are created equal. Some have beautiful spring and fall color, while others look great in the spring and quite unattractive in the fall.
Long story short, when planning a landscape, one needs to remember that it is dynamic. How the plants change over the season as well as how they change over the lifespan of the plant needs to be the main focus of the plan.
If this sems a bit overwhelming, contact Marinette Landscaping and we can help you design a beautiful landscape that wil be beautiful throught the years. 715-596-1166
