Landscape Design

A good landscape design will be enjoyable from a distance and up close as well. You want to be able to stand back from the design and see it as a pleasing whole. But you also want to be able to walk safely about the landscape and enjoy each individual portion of it. So whatever you put in, remember to consider how it will look from far away as well as close up.

Here are some thoughts about how to design your landscape to achieve a pleasing big picture while making the landscape accessible to closer inspection.

Three Dimensions

A flat landscape can look fairly dull. If all of your work is done at ground level, the result can be, well, two-dimensional, which is another word for boring. You can add a third dimension with shrubs, of course, but they might obscure portions of the landscape behind them. Some of the ideas that follow will help you add in that third dimension while making the whole landscape still visible.

Steps

Steps are one way to raise up a portion of the landscape to add that third dimension. Steps have a visual interest all their own. They make a pleasing geometric design up a slope. If they're wide enough, steps are also a great place to set potted plants, giving you a tiered garden effect. If the steps are narrower, you can plant shrubs along either side. Make sure that steps are clearly marked and visible both by day and night.

Slopes

Slopes are another way to raise up a portion of the landscape. Remember though that slopes can fool the eye. If they're just covered with grass, the area may not seem to be sloped at all. The third dimension is lost. But if you put in some shrubs and flowers, it will be easier to see how the land rises at a certain point. The shrubs climb up the slope like stairs and the flowers help to differentiate portions of the slope. This will also help to make the slopes clearly noticeable to walkers so they don't stumble. Remember to make slopes gentle for the same reason or fence them off to avoid accidents.

Raised Beds

In some places, you don't want the gentle rise given by steps and slopes. You just want to raise that portion of the landscape all at once. A raised bed can give you just what you want. Raise the bed 18 inches for a gentle three-dimensional effect, making the plants visible and drawing attention to them. Or raise the bed 3 or even 4 feet for a more dramatic look. Raising the beds to this level has the added advantage of letting you work on them without bending over or getting on your hands and knees.

Walkways

Clearly marked walkways are a must if you want people to enjoy your landscape close up. A well-designed walkway can take a visitor past all the points of interest, making sure they are seen from the best angles. Tall bushes along the walkway can even conceal portions of the landscape for a time until one turns a corner and finds a delightful surprise. Consider whether you want the walkways to be straight, with right-angle turns, or meandering like a garden path.

Water

Water is another lovely way to add a third dimension. You look down into a pool and see a reflection of the garden. Or a waterfall or a fountain sends down water from higher up. This kind of water can also add motion which really helps the visual appeal.