Johnsons's Garden Centers Text File document - copyright 2002
PDF file available at http://www.johnsonsgarden.com/newsletter/landscaping.html

The Landscape Design Process
February 2002
Mark Dayton, Johnson's Landscape Designer

    I was looking at my yard the other day thinking (or should I say
dreaming) of what it could look like some day. I haven't lived here long
and like some new homeowners, I have had to set my landscaping on the
back burner for a while ... so to speak. But now I'm finally ready to
start cooking!

    I can envision a nice river birch near the deck providing cooling
shade in the summer. I can see a bubbling brook winding through the back
yard ending in a crystal clear pond. I see groupings of colorful shrubs
along the front of my house fronted by even more colorful annual
flowers. I could sure use a screen for privacy along the back yard
fence. What about a vegetable garden? That sounds kind of fun, too. I've
got lots of ideas but where do I go from here? It's time to start
working on a plan!

    As a landscape designer,I use three basic steps when drawing a
landscape plan. These three steps are: create a site analysis, draw the
preliminary plan, and draw the final plan.

    A site analysis is the process of taking an inventory of the
existing elements on the site. I prefer to measure and draw the site to
scale on a piece of graph paper. I first measure and draw the house,
making sure I note window and door placement and window heights. I also
measure and draw in driveways, sidewalks, air conditioner pads, water
faucets, lampposts, utility boxes, existing plants, sheds, and any other
items that may be present. Using this newly generated base plan, I then
note important views from windows or decks, views to screen, areas of
sun and shade, water drainage, overhead utility lines and windy areas to
name a few. After creating a site analysis, I can then start thinking
about the preliminary design.

    The preliminary design is the "brain storming" process. This is the
time to start making lists of ideas. It helps to ask yourself some
questions and write down the answers. These questions may include the
following: What colors do I like? What plants do I like? What plants do
I not like? Do I want boulders? What about statuary? What about a
trellis or arbor? Do I need shade anywhere? What about the dog? He needs
a place to live. Do I want big shade trees? Do I want a full landscape
or something more simple and spaced out? Do I have time to maintain
large numbers of plants or should I limit the number of shrub beds? How
much money am I willing to spend on my landscape? Etc., etc., É you get
the picture. These are questions I like to ask homeowners so that I can
get a "feel" for what they want, need and expect in a design.

    After creating the list of ideas it is time to start drawing the
preliminary plan. I like to redraw the base plan I created when making
the site analysis. Using a copy of the base plan, I rough sketch a basic
landscape plan by drawing in bed shapes, tree placement, patio shapes,
plant selection, pond locations, etc., always keeping in mind and
incorporating the list of ideas.

    It is important to use the fundamental design principles of order,
unity, and rhythm when creating the preliminary plan. After getting a
rough idea of how the plan will be arranged, I can start on the final
plan.

    The final plan is the culmination of the site analysis and the
preliminary plan process. It is critical that the final plan be drawn as
a "working plan." In other words, the final plan must be drawn so that
all elements are perfectly to scale so that the actual landscape will
grow and mature just as it is drawn on paper. I also label all the
elements in the design as to what they are for easy reference.

    I'd like to stress that the landscape design process is quite
simple, although the actual use of design principles in creating a plan
is quite complicated. Landscape design is an art form and takes natural
ability and a thorough understanding of design principles to be achieved
properly. If you are the artistic type and know your plants, go ahead
and try to develop your own landscape plan. If not, don't sweat it. We
are always here to help.