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Tomatoes 2008
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by Gil Berry FASLA as prepared and presented to Albuquerque Master Gardeners Feb. 2006 1. In landscape design, we are often unaware of the visual impact that plants have upon us. In the autumn woods, we note the bright colors of foliage and fruit displayed in great profusion. We smell the smoke of campfire, We see a distant mountaintop. white with a snowy crown. It contrast with blue of the autumn sky and golden yellow of the dancing aspen leaves framing the view. One can find a sense of well-being here" a piece of mind not present in the hurly-burly of our daily existence. Landscape designers can use their knowledge, their "feel for nature" to bring some of pleasure of these autumn woods into our lives. Our repertoire of trees. shrubs. ground covers. and grasses provides an extensive and complex base for selecting the ingredients that manipulate the spaces around us. We improve living conditions. protect the balance of wildlife. and prevent the deterioration of the environment with proper placement of plants. In developing a planting composition, the landscape designer pursues a comprehensive solution to a series of related issues that result from the needs and desires of a client. The final outcome should correlate design objectives with site ;limitations and provide harmonious living environments. 11. A basic process to begin a design must be undertaken to arrive at a design which serves the site as well as the client to the fullest extent. This process could be as follows: 1. Develop design objectives. What do you want to achieve? 2. Evaluate existing conditions. 3. Develop site capacities. 4. Develop a preliminary plan 5. Finalize plan 6. Implement plan III Planting design elements comprise the major ingredients of any landscape composition. The physical plant properties of color, form and texture are applied to create specific accent scale, sequence, or balance in an outdoor setting. Although these are presented as separate elements. they are not separate considerations. In determining the functional requirements of the plant material, all characteristics of the plant come into play. The dolor, texture, and form: along with the use of accent, scale of material the the sequence in which the plant material is used, all combine to add harmony to the arrangement and create the balance, whether formal or informal, the designer is striving for. The planting designer must to on to implement those techniques that allow for the final creation of the molded and shaped exterior space. To stop after considering only the first elements would present an environment hat was merely decorated with plants. The common thread that links us as landscape designer to the environments we create is plant materials. Just as planting design related to the profession of landscape architecture, landscape ecology provides the basic components of planting design. Solving intricate problems with plants requires an understanding of "how plants live, where they live, and why they live where they do." First, let's take a closer look at the characteristics common to all plants, and see how these traits influence their use in our gardens. Color: The color value of plants is self-evident
to many of us, yet some subtleties require a second look, a deeper perception.
We find color variations throughout the climatic seasons of the year - the fresh
light green of new leaves in the spring, the variety of flower colors, the
deeper green of summer foliage, the bight foliage colors of fall, and delicate
variations of winter twig and bark colors Form: Plants come in all sorts of shapes and
sizes. Form is a very important consideration of the landscape designer when
choosing plants for a composition. People often recognize this characteristic
more readily than any other, so it may be used more frequently to focus
attention or to provide variety in a planting area. Forms range from the ground
cover, to the spreading type, to the rounded forms of shrubs, to the upright
pyramidal shapes, all the way to the broad crown of the deciduous trees. The
designer may use numerous varieties in a single composition. Texture: Texture is another characteristic that
plants exhibit in great variety. Some are coarse, such as catalpa with its large
leaves. Others have medium sized leaves or leaves that are small or narrow.
Texture can also be a seasonal trait. Willows and other deciduous trees with
small twigs produce a fine textured effect when bare of leaves. On the other
hand, the large twigs of the Tree of Heaven for example give the viewer a
coarser impression. Accent. Visual break in sequences or pattern. Only one accent in view. Too many causes confusion. Accent should be framed if possible. Accent can be done with form or texture or color, spacing of same plants. Scale: Proportion of plant to other plants or
whole. Human subject is the standard. Can alter scale by : Fine texture -
further: Coarse texture - closer; Darker colors - recede; lighter colors -
advance. Human eye is unable to focus on adjacent colors when those colors lie
opposite on the color wheel. Red flowers placed within predominately green has
little effect unless another color is present between them. Sequence: Fine medium to coarse in sequence (texture). Dark, medium, light or the reverse color sequence. Plant/mass spacing. Balance: Informal balance axis. Formal balance axis. There are many other related factors to be considered by the planting designer: defining space, reinforcing design, complementing architecture, framing good views, screening out undesirable views, controlling pedestrian movement, or providing interesting sound sources, seasonal changes, shadow patters of aesthetic effect or modifying the climate. IV. The selection, placement, and survival of each plant
or plant mass depends upon the external forces that act upon thim in a specific
location. Leaves, stems, and roots act as a total unit, and, under most
circumstances, none of the parts can live without the others for very long. Thus. we see how the designer involves the maintenance of his design into its initial stages of development. By this early planning of plant's needs, the designer works to insure its survival as well as allowing a broader range of plant material use within the design. The three most important physical components determining adaptability and hardiness are: Temperature (low/high and fluctuations), available water, and light. In terms of temperature, adaptability is generally related to the ability of the plant to enter a dormant or resting stage during which it is able to withstand widely variable temperature extremes. Many plants, especially deciduous woody plants, protect themselves by becoming dormant until temperatures are such that growth can occur again. Water, both naru4ral and supplemental, ranks next to temperature in determining plant distribution. Water may sometimes have a greater part to play in adaptability than in hardiness, but it is still important to the latter because plants under water stress may be more subject to low or high temperature injury. The ability of a plant to adapt to water extremes will largely determine its adaptability to a particular climate and design situation. Light determines plant growth responses. Energy as light, falls to earth in the form of solar radiation and is the third key to the proliferation of plants. Light is energy that can be seen and is the main ingredient of photosynthesis. Thus light also relates to hardiness and adaptability. The most important factors to consider for light are the placement of the plants and their exposure to sun or shade conditions. We see then that the selection of a particular plant for use in a design is largely determined by its ability to survive in a chosen location as thus by planning its microclimate and maintenance needs, we insure its best growth potential. All of this concern over a given plant's ability to survive does not, however, make it right for your design. The designer must still fit that plant into the proper setting to achieve the desired effect of the all over plan. The designer must understand the forms that a plant will take in its natural habitat. Nature has designed a unique relationship between plants and the environment, and this relationship is a key to their practical application in ornamental design. By understanding a particular plant's natural form, its climatic limitations and needs, the designer then has to assemble these plants into a collection of colors, textures and forms that are both conducive to the plants. survival and a placement that fits the criteria of the intended design. V. An attractive functional landscape is only as good as the maintenance it receives. By designing for expected maintenance levels, the landscape designer can solve many potential problems long before they can develop. If, for instance, the garden will be in a situation where water is a problem, the designer would be very wise indeed to use plant species that are drought tolerant and need little supplemental water. If the owner of the garden doesn't intend to spend much time on maintenance, then the designer should take this into account, and see to it that the design requires as little maintenance as possible. Low maintenance gardens do not have to be barren, sparsely planted cactus gardens most of us think of when we hear "low maintenance". By planning for maintenance in our designs from their inception and the use of the proper plants in their proper settings, the created landscape will not only be a thing of beauty, but also will not require full time care either. Both should be achieved if we consider plants from the view of their appeal and placement as well as their natural form and specific maintenance needs. 02/01/2009
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