Archive: Around Town

Dan SegalDesigning a landscape doesn’t have to be complicated, but it requires a sound framework of knowledge in a few key areas, plus a thorough, thoughtful approach. Most gardeners and homeowners, myself included, take years to work a garden or part of their property into the shape they feel approaches their vision. By contrast, a landscape design tries to achieve depth, beauty and balance all at once.

A good designer might be considered artistic, tasteful, knowledgeable, experienced, etc., but the most important thing is to work with someone interested in your property who won’t disappear after the attractive design is delivered. It’s relatively easy to design something magnificent on paper, but seeing it through, following up, and solving unforeseen problems make the project become a success in reality. Therefore, a designer who also installs the project is a great catch because they’re committed and invested in the entire project.

Framework of Knowledge
A sound skill-set for any designer should include some knowledge of horticulture, plant science and landscape construction; an awareness of the natural conditions locally or regionally (climate, soils); a sense of aesthetics so your landscape is beautiful, not just alive; and the ability to blend your vision with his or hers. Some clients will have a very clear idea of what they want. Others will appreciate the designer taking full control and making all decisions. As with any business relationship, listening to the customer is important!

What’s in a Landscape?
Some pieces of the landscape puzzle include size, texture, seasonality, color, function and style. Size refers to how big the individual plants will grow, but also to the scope of the planting. Is this a tight space that requires a very controlled, low-growing planting scheme, or is it a large space that will look weak without some plants maturing larger?

Texture describes the overall effect the individual and collective plant components have on the design—giant rough leaves and shaggy bark are good examples of coarse texture, while fine-leaved grasses or small leaves on delicate perennials lend the opposite—fine texture. Seasonality is critical, and often overlooked. This refers to the sensibility or sensuality of the landscape throughout the four seasons. Early spring bloomers, plants with fall color, interesting winter shape or bark—all lend seasonality to the garden. Without these, most gardens are flush with color from mid June through July but lack excitement the rest of the year.

Color refers not only to flowers but foliage, bark and fruit, and many customers have specific color patterns they like or dislike, so it’s a good idea to discuss this one up front. The widest mix of colors isn’t always the most pleasing to the eye. Landscape function takes into account any other goals beside aesthetics—erosion control, privacy screen or sight lines, hiding structures, etc. It can be challenging to combine aesthetics with function for some specific needs, but a good designer will find creative ways to do that.

Style can refer generally to the taste of the client—colorful, splashy, understated, simple, clean, neat, wild, woodsy. But it can also refer specifically to a recognized garden style such as Cottage Garden, English, Asian, Native, Xeriscape, Rain Garden, etc. Often, designers will tend towards a type of design but borrow from others, making unique and creative landscapes that express their own style.

Wet Enough For You?
A common mistake in design is to ignore hydrology or water balance on the site. On a wet site, you can fight the water and try to drain or redirect it, or you can utilize the water to showcase moisture-loving plants. I consider wet sites a great opportunity to work with the water and showcase wetland plants, which are dear to me and also horticulturally underused and underappreciated. Similarly, dry shade is very different from moist shade; as an example, Hosta is much more adaptable to dry shade than Astilbe.

A Note About Native Plants
Native plants typically perform well within their own natural range, but if you don’t pay attention to their ecological requirements, they can still fail. Wetland natives won’t do well on dry windy hilltops; natives adapted to well-drained soils won’t do well in muck or clay. Overall, natives have great ecological value in landscapes, requiring little or no care once established. But the two most important reasons to consider them are the sense of localness they lend your garden, and the sheer diversity of plants you don’t know yet. There are so many great and horticulturally attractive native plants that gardeners don’t use. Since so many gardeners are looking for new plants they haven’t seen or used before, natives make a great choice in this regard.

Happy Gardening!

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