Basic Landscape Design Class

Basic Landscape Design Class

Tuesday August 10, 17, 24, and 31 -- 10am-noon or 6:00-8:00 pm

Cost: $40.00 (for the 4-week course)

Instructor: Larry Sagers

Get professional results whether designing your first landscape or remodeling an existing landscape. Learn the proven step by step process for creating a design you will enjoy. The class covers designing the public and service areas and helps you include water wise landscape principles. The class includes a free 15-minute individual consultation on your landscape plan by a USU Extension Service Master Gardener.

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In a report to President Ulysses S. Grant more than 100 years ago, Horace Capron, the U.S. agriculture commissioner, wrote: "Landscape gardening is a comprehensive art, combining the genius of the landscape painter with the art of practical gardener; the exact knowledge of the engineer with the poetical imagination of the artist. The professor of this art should also possess a competent knowledge of the general principles of botany, architecture, geology, hydraulics, hydrostatics, mechanics, laws of heat and ventilation, pomology and vegetable physiology."

Combining the skills of painters, architects, artists and horticulturists seems like an impossible task. These and many other areas of expertise help in establishing the landscape garden. As difficult as this task may seem, successful landscapes are largely a matter of creating and following a simple design and planting the right amount in the right place.

Landscaping adds usable living area, increases property values and beautifies the home and other structures. A well-designed landscape creates an aesthetic environment that is well worth the time, money and effort invested. Landscape design is not just planting plants. Pleasing landscapes follow the same principles that you would use in designing the interior of your home. Designed landscapes can refresh, relax, comfort and uplift.

Plants are great problem-solvers for blending architectural features and natural features. A personal landscape makes a creative statement that reflects your likes and dislikes. No two individuals are alike, and no two landscapes should be exactly alike. Plant materials and related structures can add living beauty to your home.

The goal of most homeowners is to create a landscape that is uniquely theirs. Careful planning, design, installation and care are keys to an attractive, functional and enjoyable landscape. Failure to plant and care for the landscape leads to frustration, monetary loss and poorly maintained plantings.

Not everyone designs and installs their own landscape, but they should have some say in the design regardless of the designer. Successful landscapes, whether devised by a do-it-yourself, a nursery landscape contractor or a landscape architect, depend on clearly defining and installing those features that are important to you.

Landscape design creates functional landscapes for the lifestyle of the user. All the materials - both plants and non-plants - are blended and balanced to provide an attractive setting. Renovation should only be done to increase the functional uses and beauty of the landscape.

Formal vs. informal --

Formal landscapes are balanced, with geometric patterns, straight lines and perfect symmetry. They can include fountains, pools and sculptures, and plants are often sheared to formal hedges or topiary. Architecture with formal facades, centered entryways and symmetrical windows lends itself to this style of landscaping. Formal landscapes require more maintenance.

Informal landscapes are usually lower maintenance. They are asymmetrical and include more curves and random features, but the design still follows basic principles. Many homes are asymmetrical and lend themselves to an informal style. Landscapes often contain a blend of the two designs, with some formal symmetry as well as informal plantings.

Gardens are also stylized after their geographical origins. There are endless variations of different styles of gardens, but prominent major styles include these:

- Formal or European gardens. Formal gardens are patterned after medieval knot gardens. Small, rectangular plots are enclosed by clipped hedges of boxwood or other plants. Walkways are generally brick or gravel. These picture-perfect gardens are high maintenance but are suitable for small areas as accents or focal points.

- Oriental gardens. These emphasize stones, trees and shrubs and rely upon unusual shapes and textures to create interest. Most Oriental gardens also include water features. Such gardens are well defined and have few flower beds and limited turfgrass areas.

- Wild or woodland gardens. These suggest alpine slopes or meadows, woodlands or desert areas, according to plant selection. Informal flowers, including wildflowers and natural plants, make these areas very attractive. Natural stone, wood and water features are appropriate in such settings.

- Cottage or English gardens. These gardens feature an abundance of annual and perennial flowers. Flowerbeds are often backed with formal or informal hedges that are laid out asymmetrically with curves and calculated randomness. An abundance of different plant materials and weathered wood or stone as walkways or borders give these gardens their special appeal.

- Spanish or Mediterranean gardens. These lend themselves to southern landscapes but are also effective with many traditional-style homes. Walls, wrought iron, large paving stones and small fountains and pools work well in these areas. Landscape plants, including flowers, are drought tolerant and able to withstand hostile sites. They are balanced symmetrically and are formal in design.

- Contemporary gardens. These plantings include many features, such as informal raised flower beds, planters and paved areas. Turfgrass is an important part of most of these landscapes because it is used as an activity surface, but turfgrass can be replaced with other materials in areas where it is not necessary.

Natural factors --

Before planning your landscape, analyze all natural assets and liabilities. List everything about the physical aspects of your property. Elements of the environment include soils, climate, orientation of the home, topography and existing vegetation. Knowing how to use these to the best advantage is the key to successful landscaping.

Utah soils are almost always naturally alkaline. With new homes, most of the topsoil has been removed or buried, and considerable improvement is needed to get the kind of soil needed to produce an attractive landscape. Few landscapes are planted on perfect loam soils. Soils usually have too much clay or too much sand, depending on where you live. Organic matter is necessary to improve the soil and make it better for growing plants. Amend the soil in large areas, not just in planting holes or other locations. Information on soil testing and improvement is available from your local Utah State University Extension Service office.

Utah is mostly a high mountain desert. Such generalizations don't describe the variation in rain and snowfall, wind, high and low temperatures and when those temperatures occur. Frost-free growing seasons range from 30 days or less in high mountain valleys to 200-plus days in lower elevations. Minimum temperatures range from minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower to over 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Plant zone maps are based on minimum lows and maximum highs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has recently updated its hardiness zone map. USU also publishes specific climatic data in "Utah Climate." Sunset Western Garden Books also publishes a hardiness zone map. All are useful in determining what plants are likely to survive in your area, but the zones are not interchangable. This often creates confusion when choosing plants.

The placement of the house on the lot and its relation to the sun and prevailing winds is very important. When building a new home, check the placement of the home carefully. Minor changes in design and construction can have a substantial difference in the comfort and liveability of the home and the landscape. When landscaping an existing home, chose plants that will produce shade for areas exposed to intense sun. In our climate, properly placed shade trees can reduce summer room temperatures by as much as 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

This results in major savings in air-conditioning costs. Additionally, some homes are built to gain solar radiation in the winter time. Choose plant materials carefully so they won't cover solar collecting equipment.

The natural topographic contours of your lot greatly influence landscape design and choice of plant materials. Slopes add interest and also create unusual possibilities for landscape features. Streams or slopes, rocks and other areas add interest. Some features that seem disadvantageous at first may turn into tremendous assets: Slopes are steep and difficult to mow; terraces, rock gardens and ground covers make beautiful alternatives. If possible, use these to add interest without overwhelming the landscape.

Design help --

Sources of help are available from various landscape professionals.

- Landscape architects have a degree in landscape architecture and provide comprehensive design assistance. Many specialize in commercial projects, but some do outstanding residential designs. They are valuable, particularly if you are developing property or building a home.

- Landscape contractors install plant materials and related landscape structures and do construction, including terraces, walls, gazebos, pools and sprinkler systems. Some landscape contractors also do landscape designs.

- Nurseries or garden centers also have individuals qualified to offer design assistance. Some will design a landscape for a small fee. The fee is sometimes waived if you agree to buy plant material from them. Others will not design landscapes but offer valuable suggestions on plant materials and where and how to use them.

When using professional landscape design assistance, provide the designer with enough information to help you personalize your design. Otherwise they will design a beautiful landscape that may or may not be the one you wanted. Spend time sharing your likes and dislikes and information about the style of landscape you desire. Their design can be no better than the information you provide