‘One of our landscaping clients in Auckland recently asked, why do I need a landscape design? I just want you to get on to it.’ Being in the landscaping design industry, it seemed evident to us but it is not always the case for our clients and it made us think of a Michelangelo quote:
"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."
A garden design, whether from a simple concept plan to a more complex CAD plan is the vision and without it, there is no direction or cohesion. Landscape design is a crucial step to a great garden and a good landscaper is also a great landscape designer. You need to get the bigger picture first before you can get down to the details - just like in life you need a clear plan before you can take effective action. In the same way that you wouldn't build your home without the architect's plan, your outdoor space warrants the same thought and planning.
A grand home with little or no landscaping is bare and undermines itself. As a matter of fact, great Architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Tadao Ando, Sir Miles Warren all understand the profound relationship of architecture and landscaping and their designs reflect this at every scale.
As for everything, there are some rules to garden design whether it is landscaping in Auckland or in France that a good landscaper will follow.
What is the purpose of your garden?
Your garden design and implementation are an extension of yourself and your home and garden should follow this core principle. What is the style of your home and interior design? Your landscape design should work in harmony with those. The aesthetics with shape, balance, symmetry, colours etc should be encompassed in your landscape design as well as all the practical elements that fit with your lifestyle.
Less is more.
Trying to have too many landscaping elements in your landscape design, variety of plants etc in a confined space will overcrowd, distract and make you feel overwhelmed. It is all about working with nature and not against it. The entrance of your home sets the tone and is the first impression, make it count in your landscape design. Landscaping is as an art form that allows us to paint on a grand scale and having some art in your garden design will make it very unique and a reflection of your personality.
Once your garden design is completed, the key of course is not to get stuck at the planning stage. Implementation is key and that is why it would be a wise choice to work with a landscaping practice that is not only good at landscape design but also at bringing it to life.
