PRINCIPLES OF

LANDSCAPING
LANDSCAPING
PRINCIPLE OF DESIGN

 The principles of design serve as guidelines that govern the organization

of the design elements and materials in accordance with the laws of
nature.
 Landscape designers use these principles of design to create landscape
designs that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. 
  Creating “Rooms” throughout the Landscape.
 Provides a welcoming atmosphere.
 Encourages movement.
 Defines special use areas.
PRINCIPLES OF LANDSCAPING

 SCALE AND PROPORTION.

 FOCALISATION.
 BALANCE
 UNITY
 ANGLE OF VISION AND APPROACH.
 RHYTHM
 REPITION
 VIEWS
 AVENUE PLANTING
 SCALE AND PROPORTION

 Proportion is the relationship that exists

among the components of a landscape. It
also describes the relationship between
the components of the landscape and the
landscape as a whole.
 Proportion involves the size relationships
between and among the components
making up the landscape.
 Proportion describes the mathematical
relationships among the dimensions of
space and site components making up an
area.
 SCALE AND PROPORTION
 A design is in proper proportion and scale when a
pleasing relationship exists among and between each
component and the design as a whole.
 Of all the principles of landscape design, this one is
quite obvious but still requires a little thought and
planning. Most of the elements in landscape design
can be intentionally planned to meet the proper
proportions.
  Proportion is relative and elements can be scaled to
fit by creating different rooms in the garden. The goal
is to create a pleasing relationship among the three
dimensions of length, breadth, and depth or height.
 A small water feature can be proportionate if placed
in a corner or on the edge of a large area and
becomes a focal point of the larger area while
creating its own distinct atmosphere. An entire room,
sitting area, or theme can be created around it.
 SCALE AND PROPORTION

 These mathematical relationships are totally

separate from human perception
dimensions. In a sense, proportion is similar
to a ratio. For example, corner plantings next
to a house that are two- thirds the distance
from the ground to the eave are proportional
to the house. The height of the corner
plantings is proportional to the height of the
eave.
 Scale is the human perception of the size of
space and form related to the human
dimension. Scale is relative to the perception
of the viewer. For a large two-story house,
corner plantings that are proportional to the
house may appear out of scale to the viewer.
 FOCALISATION
 Focalization is created as a visual break in the sequence
and flow of the landscape.
 The focal point is the point or area of the landscape that
attracts the viewer’s eyes.
 The visual break captures the attention of the viewer
and draws it to the focal point.
 Without a point or area on which to focus, the viewer’s
eyes become lost and confused throughout the
landscape.
 As a designer, create an accent or focal point that is
strong and effective.
 Do not incorporate too many focal points into the
landscape. Otherwise, their effect will be lost. Use the
design elements (line, form, texture, and color) to move
the viewer’s eyes through the landscape to the place of
the focal point.
FOCALISATION

 Focal Area and Emphasis Focal

Area or Focalisation involves
leading of visual observation
towards a feature by placement of
this feature at the vanishing point
between lines.
 Straight lines create stronger
focalisation than curved lines.
 BALANCE

 Balance is a design principle defined in terms of weight.

 It is the equalization of visual weight from one area of a landscape
composition to another.
 Two distinctly different types of balance exist in landscape design:
1. SYMMETRICAL BALANCE.
2. ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE
 BALANCE
 Symmetrical balance is where there are more or less
equally spaced matching elements of the garden
design. With a garden equally divided, both sides could
share all or part of the same shape, form, plant height,
plant groupings, colors, bed shapes, theme, etc 
 Symmetrical balance is a formal balance. It is
sometimes referred to as bi-lateral symmetry.
 Symmetrical balance is recognizable in that an exact
sameness occurs on either side of the composition.
 The same components are repeated on both sides of
the composition. If a line (center axis) were drawn
through the middle of the form or space, each side
would be identical.
 The visual and actual weight is equally distributed on
each side.
 BALANCE

 Asymmetrical balance is an informal

balance. It does not repeat the same
plant material in the same quantity
or in the same relative position on
either side of the center axis.
 An asymmetrically balanced design
implies equal weights on either side
of the center axis. However, it does
not have the “sameness” on each
side.
 An asymmetrically balanced
landscape compares to a level candy
scale.
RYTHM

 When something in the landscape is repeated with a

standard interval, a rhythm is established. In landscape
design, the interval is usually space.
 Rhythm is achieved when the elements of a design
create a feeling of motion which leads the viewer's eye
through or even beyond the designed area.
 Tools like colour schemes, line and form can be repeated
to attain rhythm in landscape design.
 Rhythm reduces confusion in the design.
 Order and Repetition helps developing a rhythm in a
design.
 Lines within a landscape are created in a landscape by the shape and
form of the planting beds, sidewalks, where the turf meets pavement
and other hardscaping features.
 The rhythm and line design principle gives a landscape a sense of
movement and is what may draw you “into” the landscape.
 Plants, groups of plants, lamp posts, benches or other structures can be
repeated within the design to create this rhythm.
REPETITION
 Repetition is created by the repeated use of elements or features to create
patterns or a sequence in the landscape.
 Repetition must be used with care—too much repetition can create
monotony, and too little can create confusion.
 Simple repetition is the use of the same object in a line or the grouping of a
geometric form, such as a square, in an organized pattern.
 Repetition can be made more interesting by using alternation.
 Repetition does not always create a pattern;
sometimes it is simply the repeated use of the
same colour, texture, or form throughout the
landscape.
 Figure illustrates repetition of a square form
in an entry courtyard, lawn panels, a patio, and
a water feature.
How repetition can be achieved ?
 Using the same plant repeatedly in a landscape is
simple repetition.
 A grass garden is a good example of subtle plant
repetition.
 Gradation can be achieved with a gradual change
in height or size (e.g., using small grasses in
front, backed by medium grasses, and then large
grasses). A more obvious gradation is plants that
transition from fine to coarse texture, or from
light green to dark green.
 Material can be used repeatedly throughout the
yard for unity, but interest can be created by
slightly varying the size, texture, or color of
hardscape material.
Difference between rhythm and
repetition
 Repeating line, form, colour, and texture creates rhythm in the
landscape.
 Rhythm is achieved by repetition but the vice-versa is not always
true.
UNITY
•Unity should be one of your main goals in your design. It can  applied
as consistency and repetition.
REPETITION: Repetition creates unity by repeating alike
elements like plants, plant groups, or decor throughout the landscape.
CONSISTENCY: Consistency creates unity in the sense that
some or all of the different elements of the landscape fit together to
create a whole.
• Unity can be achieved by the consistency of character of elements
like
the height, size, texture, color schemes, etc. of different elements.
•A simple way to create unity in your landscape is by creating themes.
•Unity should be expressed through at least one element in your
landscape and preferably more. Using elements to express a main
idea through consistent style and a specific theme is what creates
harmony.
UNITY CAN BE ACHIEVED BY:
UNITY IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN
 Sequence:
• Move viewer’s eyes over landscape in orderly fashion.
 Achieved by gradual progression of form, texture or color
 Any plant that breaks gradual pragression becomes a point of
emphasis.
 Simplicity:
• Create with repetition of form, texture, colors, or specific plant species.
• Must prevent monotony; variety is used to ‘Control’ repetition.
ANGLE OF VISION AND APROACH

Complexity
 It has been found that individuals tend to prefer complex natural
landscapes over less complex ones; complexity has been shown to be
an important predictor in landscape preference evaluation.
 Complexity included colour, edges, fractal dimension, standard
deviation, entropy, human encoding and run-length encoding.
 Complexity affects not only the amount of information in a landscape
scene, but also the time and effort required to process the display.
Results have consistently indicated that preference and complexity are
related in a hyperbolic manner.
 High preference is associated with a moderate level of complexity, while
low preference tends to be linked with the extremes of either low or high
complexity.
Mystery
Mystery is defined as the "degree to which you can gain more information by proceeding
further into the scene. Mystery has been found to be a consistently perceived attribute of
landscapes. The following structural relationships have been found to be important
 perception of mystery decreases with perceived distance;
 perception of mystery declines as perceived screening declines;
 as perceived spatial definition increases, the perception of mystery increases.
 perceived physical access increases the perception of mystery.

Four landscape variables of mystery are spatial definition, physical accessibility, distance of
view and partial screening .
 Partial screening is defined as the degree to which views of the larger landscape are
visually obstructed or obscured;
 Distance of view is measured from the viewer to the nearest forest stand;
 Spatial definition is the degree to which landscape elements surround the observer;
 Physical accessibility is defined by an apparent means of moving through or into the
landscape as a result of fine textured surfaces in the foreground plane.
 Focality, ground texture and depth

 Focality refers to the degree to which a scene contains a focal point, or area
that attracts the viewer's attention. Focality is produced when lines, textures,
landform contours, and other patterns .
 Irregular textures present the viewer with unordered high complexity. Such
displays should evoke low preference responses because they resist rapid and
efficient comprehension.
 Surfaces that have even textures, or areas of textural homogeneity, should be
accorded higher preference.
 Ground textural gradient is important in distance perception. A uniform, even
texture preserves the sense of "continuous" ground surface which is necessary
if distance is to be accurately perceived. Rough, irregular textures may disrupt a
sense of continuous ground surface.
 If depth could not be perceived, landscape features would stand ambiguously in
two dimensions; depth is linked to legibility through its effects on the scale of
landscape element.
 AVENVUE PLANTATION

 an avenue is traditionally a straight path or road

with a line of trees or large shrubs running along
each side, which is used, as its Latin source venire
("to come") indicates, to emphasize the "coming
to," or arrival at a landscape or architectural
feature.

 In order to enhance the approach to mansions or

manor houses, avenues were planted along the
entrance drive. Sometimes the avenues are in
double rows on each side of a road.
 Trees preferred for avenues were selected for their height and speed of
growth, such as poplar, beech, lime, and horse chestnut.

 Sometimes tree avenues were designed to direct the eye toward some
distinctive architectural building or feature, such as a chapels, gazebos,
or architectural follies.
AVENUE TREES
Planting trees along the road sides, highways and pathway is known as avenue
plantation.
Avenue plantation is generally practiced for the aesthetic value, shade purpose,
control of soil erosion and for its economic use of timber, flowers & fruits.

List of Avenue trees

Blackboard Tree (Saptaparni)
Kadamba
Umbrella Tree
Bottle brush
Golden Bottle Brush
Geiger Tree
Indian rosewood
Gul mohur ( Flame Tree)
THANK YOU!
SUBMITTED TO:
Ar. Neharika Rathore
SUBMITTED BY:
Bhushruti Bissu
Devender Kumar
Divya Kothari
Lakshita Thakuriya
Puneet Singhvi