Elements of Landscape Design

Design is all about Individuality.No one will ever have the same design concept for one plan. Your own ideas and feelings go into your designs. Creativity is Key of any landscape design. But remember one thing the homeowner is the boss!. If they don't like it u may have to change it. Elements are tools used to accomplish principles in a project.

Line, Form, Texture, Color are four main elements that are used in landscape designs.

                                            How Line Influences Design

The line is a powerful element of landscape design. Line causes physical and visual movement. It leads the eyes through the landscape space. Lines are used in all aspects of landscape designs. Steer physical or visual movement directly through the environment. For constructing these lines by using contrasting plant materials and forming patterns with similar plant materials. Example-For Ground patterns the Edges of contrasting plant materials and Treetops meeting the sky. There three different types of lines Straight lines, Intersecting lines, and Curved lines. Intersecting lines are hesitation, change of view or direction, or a pause.

Straight lines evoke a sense of order and crispness more formality or contemporary concept. Encourage movement and directs attention to a focal point.

Curved lines are relaxed slower movement, causal & informal concept.

                                             
The Use of Form in Landscape designs

The form is an important element of your landscape designs. The form is a 2D or 3D shape and structure of an object or space. Air space is created by two plant materials set side by side is also an expression of form. Trees are good examples of the form. Trees may have an upright growth form that allows placement near structures. Tailored plants and shrubs are used in formal designs.
Irregular or natural forms are used in Informal designs. 

Common forms are Round, Conical, Oval, Weeping, Horizontal, Upright.

Oval and Rounded shrubs are often planted in the front of the property to provide a uniform, symmetrical appearance.

Oval Shape-Acer Saccharum(Sugar Maple)

        Conical form                                                    Upright form

Conical form-Scotch Pine 

Tulip tree

 Weeping forms like that the weeping willow is excellent accent shapes.

Weeping larch

Spreading trees like Pin oak trees are best planted in an open location and shade providers.

Pin oak tree

The Role of Texture in Landscape designs

The key to effective use of texture is creating a balance between various plant qualities in the yard. The texture is the Surface quality of any plant material or structure in the landscape. The texture is Relative. The look and feel of the plant materials are important in your landscape designs. Tree bark may be rough or smooth, grass may be thick or extremely fine and plants may have smooth, glossy leaves or sharp, prickly leaves. A large amount of smooth, fine materials should be used to balance coarse-textured plants and trees. Remember in Fine Texture the eyes move easily. In Coarse structure focus eyes.

The Use of Color in landscape designs

Color is one of the most powerful attributes when considering the elements of landscape design. Color brings variety as well as personality to your landscape designs but selecting the right year-round color scheme for your outdoor plan is a difficult task. While selecting your plants and materials, consider the seasonal changes of the blooms and leaves and factor those changes into your color scheme.

For Shade add black and for Calm add cool colors like blue and green. For Excitement add Warm colors like Yellow, Red, Orange. For tone add gray color.