Landscaping can be considered both an art and a science. A lot of skill is needed, but there are also a few principles that the landscaper should keep in mind when working on any project. It is only by incorporating the various principles that they will achieve both unity and flow in their design. 

Practicality

When coming up with a landscaping plan, it is important to ensure that it is practical. It should be able to consider the size of the property as well as the shape. The design should also be able to work in the specific environmental conditions.

Slopes can be an awkward project for any landscaper. A lot of them find slopes challenging. This does not have to be the case. In fact, on some aspects, slopes can be easier than flat surfaces as one will not have to force the land. They can easily create waterfalls, retaining walls or rock gardens very naturally. A landscaper who focuses on the following factors will have a very easy time when landscaping on a slope.

Planning and designing

One cannot overemphasize the importance of planning and designing when landscaping a slope. It is important to have as many pictures of the slope as possible. It is also important to have pictures from all possible angles. Good pictures will help the landscaper to know the gradient of the slope and to envision the type of design that would work well with it. Knowing the degree of the slope will also help the designer when they need to shop for materials. Having pictures during the design process will ensure that nothing is overlooked.

A lot of people are very busy these days, and they do not have as much time as they would like to spend on taking care of their yards. For such clients, a landscaper will have to come up with a yard that is very easy to maintain. The following are some of the things that all exterior designers should consider when creating beautiful yards for clients who have very little time for maintenance.

Focus on the soil

Having great soil will make it easier for plants to grow, and this will reduce the amount of time that is needed for maintenance. A landscaper should pay considerable attention to the soil before choosing plants for a yard or garden. The use of organic compost will greatly help to improve the soil, and this will result in a healthy root system and a healthy plant.

People are very visual in nature, and most would like a yard or a garden that looks great. This boils down to the colors that are used in the design. If you think about it, yards and gardens are all about color. The client may want a color scheme that is exciting or soothing. They may want colors that stand out, or a scheme that is more subtle. Understanding the basic principles of how to use color in design will help any landscaper to meet the basic goals of their client.

Understanding neutral colors in landscaping

Neutral colors are colors that can be used in combination with any other colors without changing the basic effect that a color scheme is trying to achieve. Neutral colors can also be used as a buffer between two different colors or plants that would have otherwise clashed. In landscaping, the neutral colors are white, grey, black, green, silver and certain shades of brown. Though white is a neutral color, it can also be used to serve another function. White glows a lot in the morning and evening. It is therefore also perfect for clients who would like to walk in their yard or garden early in the morning or later in the evening.

Gardens are usually considered to be very visual and artistic. Any great landscaper should understand the basic rules of how to create garden beds. This way they can know how to either follow these rules or break them intelligently in order to come up with a great design. 

Types of garden beds

There are two basic types of garden beds: borders and islands. A border normally has an anchor as its backdrop. This makes borders much easier to design as the backdrop will be used to define the size and shape of the bed. Examples of backdrops are hedges, fences, or even a house. Because of this, border garden beds can only be viewed from one side. When creating borders, it is important to think about proportion. Therefore, narrow beds should also be long, while short beds can be wider. In borders, the plants should be arranged properly. The tall plants should always be placed at the back, with mid-sized plants in the middle and shorter plants at the front. It is always better to place the plants in groupings for a more natural effect.