A discussion about design.
A well designed landscape is a pleasure to the family, enhances a community and adds to the properties resale value. Landscape design involves much more than placing trees, shrubs and other plants on the property. It is an art form which deals with concious arrangement of organization of outdoor space for human satisfaction and enjoyment.
Some of its major goals include:
*Organizing and developing the site for maximum use and pleasure.
*Creating a visual relationship between the home and the site.
*Reducing landscape maintenance to a practical level.
Americans spend tremendous amounts of money "landscaping" their businesses, homes, streets, parks, schools, etc. Much of this money is wasted because of little or no planning. People cannot understand how to landscape until they know why they landscape. There are several reasons why people "landscape" some think it improves the appearance of their property, others just like to grow things, and many just want their property to look attractive. Too often these landscapes dominate rather than serve. Masses of plants or other material in the landscape may take up large portions of the space and leave little room for people.
How does a designer arrange space so that people will find it useful, beautiful, meaningful and functional?
The methods include:
*Observing and analyzing the habits of the people who will be using the space, including asking about their needs, desires and how much space each of their activities requires.
*Studying past method of design.
*Surveying available materials to solve design requirements.
*Analyzing the environment of the site including the view in and around the site. The ecology of the site should be carefully analyzed since it is an importand design determination.
Not all landscape designs improve the appearance of a property. The work of and insensitive designer can subdue design features of a structure, or conceal important features, even worse contradic the architects intent. Good or sensitive design work will significantly enhance the buildings appearance by adding warmth, livability and personality. It can also relate a building to its surroundings and environment and give it the desired degree of dominance which was intended by the architect.
Growth and change separate landscape designs from other atrs. Most works of art such as architecture, sculpture and painting look their best when new. Landscape designs, however are at their worst when new and improve with age. A well designed landscape will seldom look the same any two months of the year.
The temptation to begin planting immediately is almost ovetwhelming. Whether you are landscaping a newly built home or redesigning an existing landscape, the results will be much more satisfying if you plan first. Ideally, you should consult a professional landscape architect on the planning of the layout.
A professional will have at their disposal the background in design, the necessary tools, the skills to use the tools and a competent staff to execute the entire design. Time is valuable to you and your landscape designer so the planning stage should be finalized before the shovel pierces the ground. Falure to do so will invariably result in lost time and cost overruns.
The landscape designer should provide you with concise illustrations of the proposed design. These illustrations should consist of a front elevation with gradings and plantings illustrated. An aerial drawing with buildings and property layout should be included. You, as the customer should be comfortable with all the proposed elements in the design.
Once you and you contractor have come to an agreement as to the plan the work can begin. Avoid alterations in the final plans as the project proceeds as mentioned above this can result in substantial time and cost overruns. Of course unforseen issues can arise. In the unlikely even that this should happen your landscape designer should inform you of the issue as soon as it is encountered, discuss the situation with you and offer a course of action or actions to take to resolve the issue. You will then be able to make an informed decision on how to proceed with the project.
Remember this is all about creating a beautiful space. This should be a time for fun, learning, and entertainment.
Dreamscape Water Gardens strives to make your experience a valuable addition to your property and at the same time teach you and your family about the wonders of nature through your landscape design.
Doug Coe,
President, Dreamscape Water Gardens.
dcoe@dreamscapewatergarden.com