Landscape Design

Good Garden Design

Good garden design balances creativity with the quest to build easy, practical outdoor living spaces. It will focus on hardscaping first before considering planting.

Hardscaping refers to walls, paved areas, and decks, etc. - all the aspects of a garden that give the space its structure; this will be determined by how the household intends to use their garden.

Good garden design will consider how a family lives, how they entertain, whether they value privacy, how to maximise sun and protect from the prevailing wind, etc.

Design Planning

Before you start designing your garden, here are a few factors worth considering.

• Determine your budget. Setting a realistic budget from the outset will help you make informed choices about materials, plants, contractors, and maintenance.
• Build a wishlist. Create a list of the features you would like to include in your garden.
• Varieties of trees and plants
• Irrigation systems
• Types of planter boxes or containers
• Water features
• Rocks, gravel, mulch
• Bridges, pergolas, benches, statuary, etc.
• Take the sun and shade into account. Track the sun's movement in your chosen spot; this will help you decide what to plant and where. Remember, this will change with the seasons, so you must plan accordingly.
• Use natives where possible. Plants that are native to your area will thrive with little effort from you. Additionally, they provide a valuable source of food for birds, butterflies, and other indigenous fauna.

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What is a Landscape Plan?

Essentially, a landscape plan is a floor plan for your garden or outdoor area. It is a visual representation of your site using scaled dimensions.

A landscape plan will include natural elements like flowers, trees, grass, and artificial elements such as lawn furniture, fountains, and sheds. A detailed plan may include various overlays for irrigation and lighting.

A plan helps the designer communicate their vision with the client and acts as a tool to base cost estimates and select materials.

Landscape Designers:

We feel fortunate to have worked with many award-winning garden designers. Their insight and creativity fuel our passion for landscaping. Because of them, we strive for excellence, continue to push boundaries and seek out new and innovative applications in every garden project.

We offer free landscape consultations across the Auckland Region.

A Well Designed Garden Will:

• Ensure that you make the most out of your outdoor space.
• Ensure your garden is functional, and best serves the needs of your household.
• Maximise natural light, capturing sunlight and shade for optimum enjoyment and plant growth.
• Connect your house to the garden with practical access areas by way of paths, decking or paving.
• Include a mix of materials, plants, grasses, and fixtures that represent you and your home.
  

The 7 Principles of Landscape Design:

Simplicity - elements that do not provide improvement or impact on the design can be omitted. Prioritise what is important to keep the design clean, neat and uncluttered.

Variety - shape, size and form selections should be diverse to create visual interest. However, do not forfeit simplicity merely to create varied combinations.

Balance - everything in a design will carry a certain visual weight with it. Balance is the concept of ensuring the weight feels even throughout the plan. A plan with formal balance will have both sides mirroring each other, while informal balance refers to equal but not matching. Both can work well.

Emphasis - accentuating parts of the design using texture, form or colour will provide interest and lead the eye through the design. However, too much emphasis will feel chaotic. Specimen areas are best standing alone. Accent areas are meant to stand out but within the context of a larger design. Key plants can help to deemphasise or soften architectural features.

Sequence - sequence refers to how transitions in the elements of plant size, shape and texture are used. Gradual changes of one element at a time offer a smooth, appealing sequence. Abrupt changes from a tall plant to a short one or a fine-textured plant to a rough one do not work well.

Scale/Proportion - the size of the components in a landscape is the scale, and how they relate to each other in proportion. ​The size of your landscape and the items in it should all be balanced. A wall or tree that is significantly larger than everything else will pull the eye away from the rest of the garden.

Unity - unity is the concept that everything works together. Interconnection creates unity by using connections such as paths, walkways, stairs, and fences to physically link areas.

Landscape Design Tip:

• Think about how you intend to use your garden. Will it be an entertaining space, do you value privacy, where will you place your washing line; these are among the many considerations of landscape design.