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Principles
of Garden Design (Contd.)
IV. Designing a
Garden
Everyone would like to have a perfect plot of land, but in actual practice the plot available for gardening either will not be in a good site or the shape and size will not be ideal. Whatever may be the case, one should not to be hopeless. A good designer is one who will make the best use of such a site. In such a case a land with natural undulations should not be leveled, but rather the differences in levels should be utilized with proper designing. Fencing, though may not look artistic but is essential in any garden. The fencing should be in such a way that it looks natural and should not obstruct any natural view. For example, if there is a natural forest, scenery or a hillock just outside the boundary, it should be incorporated in the garden as if it appears to be a part of the garden.
The other aspects of garden design which to be carefully considered while designing are briefly discussed below.
A. Axis
This is an imaginary line in any garden, around which the garden is created striking a balance. In a formal garden, the central line is the axis. At the end of an axis, generally there will be a focal point. However, other architectural features such as bird-bath or sundial can also be erected at about the midpoint.
B. Focal point
In every garden, there is a centre of attraction which is generally an architectural feature focused as a point of interest. Thus a focal point is one of the elements of good landscape design.
C. Mass effect
The use of one general form of plant material in large numbers in one place is done to a have mass effect. To see that such arrangements do not become monotonous, the size of the masses should be varied.
D. Unity
Unity in a garden is very important, as when this is achieved, it will improve the artistic look of the garden. Unity has to be achieved from various angles. First, the unity of style, feeling and function between the house and the garden has to be achieved. Secondly, the different components of the gardens should merge harmoniously with each other. The aim is to give the visitor an over all impression of the garden rather than blowing up some special features. The last point, which is also very important is to achieve some harmony between the landscape outside and the garden. A garden laid out in complete defiance of the local conditions may look exotic. For example, cacti planted in a seashore garden is completely out of place as these are inhabitants of dry localities.
To achieve a unity between the house and the garden, it is a common practice to train creepers on the front porch which covers the rudeness of masonary work and also bring the house closer to nature. For the same reasons, foundation planting broadly means the planting of bushy plants near the foundation of the house.
E. Space
The aim of every garden design should be such that the garden should appear larger than its actual size. One way of achieving this is to keep vast spaces preferably under lawn, and restrict the planting in the periphery, normally avoiding any planting in the centre. But if any planting has to be done in the centre, the choice should be a tree which branches at a higher level on the trunk ( or the lower branches are removed) and not a bushy shrub. Such planting will not obstruct the view or make the garden appear smaller than its actual size. A large open space planted haphazardly allover with trees looks smaller than its size. The technique of creating an illusion of more space is also referred to as forced perspective.
F. Divisional lines
In a landscape garden, there should not be any hard and fast divisional lines. But there is the necessity of dividing or rather screening a compost pit or a mali's quarter or a vegetable garden from the rest of the garden. In fact areas under lawn, gravel, stone or cement paths, and-shrubbery border have their natural divisional lines from its immediate neighbor.
The divisional lines should be artistic with gentle curves and these should also be useful. Above all, lines should harmonize with one another.
G. Proportion and scale
Proportion in a garden may be defined as a definite relationship between masses. For example, a rectangle having a ratio of 5:8 is considered to be of pleasing proportion. As this ratio comes down, the form looks neither square nor a rectangle, and this kind of design becomes undesirable.
There is no set rules regarding scale or proportion in a garden. But a simple rule is that a design should look pleasant. It is better to have an adhoc design first and then try it out on the actual spot. If the design looks appealing as well as pleasing, it is implemented. When a shrubbery border has to be planted, the outer design is marked by arranging a rubber hose or thick wet rope in different. designs on the spot and the one which looks best is adopted. Then sticks of different heights representing the various shrubs, are planted in various positions and by the method of permutation and combination the most proportionate looking arrangements is adopted.
The steps in a garden, should not only be broader than those inside the house but should have deep treads (the stepping) and low risers also. This means the steps are spaced wider, making climbing easier and pleasant. Moreover a very wide flight of steps dividing two lawn areas at different levels, makes the translation easy and inconspicuous. The common practice of laying out a small rockery at the base of a large tree with small thorny specimens looks not only ugly, but is also out of scale. A tiny pool in the midst of a large lawn also looks disproportionate.
H. Texture
The surface character of a garden unit is referred to as texture. The texture of the ground, the leaves of a tree or shrub will all determine the overall effect of-the garden. The texture of rugged garden can be improved to an appreciable extent by laying small pebbles from the riverbeds.
A gulmohar is a fine textured tree when it is full leaved, whereas Spathoda campanulate is a coarse textured tree. The placement of all these various textures with harmony and contrast has to be achieved to get the ultimate desirable effect.
I. Time and light
In a garden, the time factor is very important. There
are three different categories of time garden. First
comes the daily time, which provides different quantities
and qualities of light during the course of the day.
As the morning sun is vital for all flowers, the designer
has to take into account while planning. In most of
the parts of India, the garden design should be planned
in such a way that in the afternoon it is possible to
sit in a shaded place from where the best part of the
garden can be viewed. The second type of time is the
seasonal changes in the year. A good planner must roughly
take into account the seasonal movement of the sun and
where the shade and light are likely to fall during
the different parts of the season. A lawn which receives
shade during the early parts of the day in winter will
not grow or remain patchy. A good and knowledgeable
gardener can visualize such eventualities. The third
time, which most people overlook and cannot visualize,
is the fact as to what shape and proportion the shrub
and trees will attain height in the years to come. Often
we can see sick and lanky shrubs growing near the trunk
of a large tree because of lack of light and nutrients
also. The right type of tree should be planted at the
proper place so that shade is obtained during the hot
days. A cleverly planted tree can also protect a window
from strong afternoon sun or an unplanned tree can ruin
the view of the garden from inside a window. The pattern
of shade cast by a fine leaved tree on lawn looks very
artistic. Similarly, straight trunked trees like the
Royal palm (Greodoxa regia) or Eucalyptus, when planted
in a row along a path, will throw oblique bars of shade
in the mornings and after noon and will cheer up a dull
walk.
J. Tone and colour
A tendency on the part of amateur gardener is to create
a disorder of colours by indiscriminately planting flowering
annuals of all shades. This practice is not desirable.
Moreover, such disorder of colours has only temporary
effect. In a landscape garden the permanent backdrop
is the green tone of the various trees and shrubs. It
is possible to lay-out a garden with suitable tone of
entirely white or yellow flowers, but at the same time
making it charming also. Another important point is
that it is better to have masses of single colour rather
than mixture of colours. A bed of same colour has a
much softer tone and beauty, than a bed containing a
mixture of colours.
K. Mobility
In temperate countries, the garden changes colour very
sharply and contrastingly from one season to the other,
thus symbolizing mobility or movement. For example,
many trees in the temperate regions attire themselves
with wonderful hues due to changes in the leaf colour
in the autumn. Then suddenly in the winter leaves fall
and everything goes to rest bringing an atmosphere of
dullness all around. Again in the spring the plants
come back to life with the appearance of new leaves.
In parts of tropical India, these contrasting changes
can not be achieved, it is possible only to bring in
some subtle changes. For example, to create some symbol
of movement, trees such as Bengal or Indian Almond (Terminalis
catappa) changes its leaf colour into striking red twice
a year before falling.
The movement and cluttering of birds also bring life
and mobility to the garden, though sometimes some birds
may become a menace. Large trees and bird baths attract
birds. Some plants bearing berries, such as Ficus infectoria
and Syzygium cumini can also be planted in some remote
corners though they may not look ornamental. Flowering
trees such as silk cotton (Bombax malabaricum) or Erythrina
also attract birds when in bloom. The seasonal flowers
will bring in the motion and movement of colourful butterflies.
Fountains or a lawn sprinkler and stream in a garden
also serve the objective of movement. The lily pools
should be filled with coloured fish, the movement of
which will be an added attraction.
L. Style
Lastly, one has to decide about the style to be adopted
for one's garden. Every garden lover has to invent his
own style of gardening commensurate with his budget,
taste and the nature of the site. But one can develop
his own design only when he studies carefully all the
great garden styles of the world and grasps the underlying
principles in them. There is no doubt that person not
having enough specialized knowledge will commit mistakes,
nevertheless, one should not get deterred by this fact.
One word of caution to a novice gardener is that he
should not get used to his mistakes but improve upon
the design with acquiring new knowledge through experience
and learning from others.
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