5 Facets Of Choosing The Right Scale For Your Landscape
Posted on: 29 April 2022
One of the key elements of good landscape design is scale. Scale refers to the way you choose sizes appropriate to other facets of the landscape and its surroundings. But how can you apply the principles of scale in your particular yard? Here are a few things to consider.
1. Size of Your House. Certainly, the house is the primary feature of a residential lot. This is the largest, most visible, and most important structure, so it's a defining basis for scale. If you plant short trees, bushes, and garden beds around a two story home, for instance, they will make the house look oversize and may disappear against it. However, a smaller home surrounded only by tall trees may be dwarfed by these.
2. Size of Other Greenery. Scale of individual landscape elements should also be compared to other greenery. The most aesthetically pleasing design is usually one that includes a variety of sizes, including short, medium, and tall plants. When planted around each other, these combinations draw the eye comfortably up and down and prevent the design from becoming jarring.
3. Size of Neighboring Elements. To make your lot look appealing, look around it at neighboring properties. While the way your neighbors design their yards shouldn't be your primary motivator, it does affect how your choices will look. If your neighbors have tall, mature trees and you opt to stick with smaller greenery with smaller leaves, your landscape might feel out of place and unimpressive. A compromise blending from neighboring trees' heights to your own would make it all look unified.
4. Size of Yard Features. While the house is the most important hardscape structure, it's by no means the only one in most yards. What else should you consider when sizing plants and trees? You might make note of the sizes, designs, and shapes of fencing, outdoor entertainment zones, outbuildings, existing trees, and parking areas.
5. Size of Mature Plants. Finally, don't forget that you can't base today's planting decisions solely on how plants look when you put them in the ground. How will they look when mature? That cute tree with perfect dimensions to complement the house today could engulf it by the time the tree finishes growing in a decade. If in doubt, err on the side of proper scale when plants are done growing.
Where to Learn More
Scale, like many landscape design elements, can be hard to get right. The best place to begin is by consulting with an experienced landscape service in your area. They'll work with you to account for all these factors and more so you come out with a perfectly-sized landscape. A company like the Trindel Bros. has more information.
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