Principles of Landscaping, Maintenance, Xeriscaping & Water Gardens
(Unit 34)
I.
The Landscape Industry (aka the green industry)
A. Landscaping (definition) – to serve the needs and desires of
people in development of the outdoor environment
B. Landscape Architects – integrate the disciplines of art and science
and know how plants and landscape factors will react to the
environment around them; they prepare designs
C. Computer Aided Design (CAD) is used to create 3-D Designs
D. Graphic art – the language of the landscape designer
E. Scale drawings – land dimensions and symbols are reduced in the
same proportion
F. Landscape contractor – responsible for the installation of
landscapes
G. Landscape maintenance – aka gardeners or pro horticulturists;
fastest growing part of industry; typically include:
1. Lawn care – fertilizing, weeding, mowing
2. Tree & shrub care – fertilizing, pruning, mulching
3. Flower care
4. Repair walls, fences, walks, & drives
5. Painting
6. Snow plowing
II. Objectives of residential landscaping
A. Goals of Landscaping
1. Determine needs & desires of homeowner
2. Determine capabilities of land to meet needs
3. Develop appropriate outdoor living areas
4. Make sure maintenance level required is acceptable to
homeowner
5. Keep cost within budget
B. Interview – used to determine needs of homeowner
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III.
C. Site analysis – used to determine capability of site; should
include:
1. Dimensions of property
2. Topography of site
3. Quality of soil & subsoil
4. Condition of lawn areas
5. Existing plants
6. Utility lines, meters & utility easements
7. Good & bad views from site
8. Glass areas in the house
9. Architectural style of the neighborhood
10. Environmental setting
11. Existing natural features (streams, rocks, wildlife habitat)
The concept of the Outdoor Room
 Think of outdoor areas as rooms in a house
1. Walls – shrubs, fences (brick or stone), exterior walls of
buildings, trellises, etc.
 Create privacy; provide shape & limits to outdoor
room
2. Floors – natural earth, sand, crushed stone, poured
concrete, brick, decking, turf grass, etc.
a. Hard paving – concrete, flagstone, tile, decking, brick,
etc.
b. Soft paving – crushed stone, wood chips, marble
chips, washed river gravel, pine needles, etc.
c. Turf grass
d. Ground covers – plants (Junipers, Euonymus,
ornamental grasses, etc.)
Type
Hard Paving
Soft Paving
Turf Grass
Ground cover
Cost to Install
High
Moderate
Low
Moderate
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Maintenance Cost
Low
Moderate
High
High at first
Durability
High
Moderate
Moderate
Low
3. Ceilings – trees, awnings, canopies, etc.
 Deciduous trees create shade and have cooling effect
during summer months if placed on the southwest
corner of house, yet let sun through for warming
during winter months
IV. Principles of Landscape Design
 Five basic principles of design
A. Simplicity – accomplished by repeating specific plants, massing
types & colors, or using straight or curved bedlines
B. Balance – equal visual weight to landscape
1. Symmetrical – both sides are exact duplicates
2. Asymmetrical – sides are not duplicates (different), but
have the same visual weight
C. Focalization of interest – special feature that draws ones’ eye to
it; Examples:
 Specimen plants
 Unique color, shape, or size
 Front door should draw ones’ eyes from street
D. Rhythm and Line – used to create unity of design by continuing
beds around house to backyard; repeating shapes and angles
E. Scale and Proportion – makes sure that all plants used will be
appropriately sized when fully grown
 Unity is the master principle of landscape design – it
creates the flow among scale & proportion, balance,
accent, rhythm, and simplicity!!!
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V.
Landscape Maintenance
 Involves these skills
1. Replacement of plant material
2. Application of mulch
 Calculating mulch needed:
(Length in feet) X (width in feet) X (depth in feet)
27 cubic feet/cubic yard
= Cubic Yards
3. Application of plant nutrients (fertilizers & amendments)
4. Pruning
5. Weed control
6. Planting & caring for flower beds
7. Proper mowing procedures
8. Maintenance of landscape accessories
VI. Xeriscaping – technique used to practice water conservation in
creative landscapes (used extensively in southwestern USA)
 Basic concepts of Xeriscaping:
1. Good design and planning
2. Improving the soil
3. Turf areas
4. Use of ground covers
5. Low water use
6. Plant selection
7. Use of mulches
8. Use low-volume irrigation
9. Proper landscape maintenance
VII. The Water Garden – sight & sound of the movement of water creates
a new dimension to the landscape (water plants, fish, wildlife, etc.)
A. Types of ponds
1. In-ground ponds – can be in full sun; concrete, plastic
liner, or pre-formed containers buried in ground
2. Above-ground containers – need some shade during hot
part of day
B. Edges of pond must be treated to blend in with surroundings
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