Using the Principles of Art
Chapter 6
The Art and Science
of Growing Plants
• Horticulture is referred to the art and
science of growing plants.
• Landscaping is the segment of Horticulture
pertaining to the art and science of growing
plants in an outdoor setting The art of
landscaping deals with visual art. Which is
pleasing to the eye.
The Art and Science
of Growing Plants
• Plant Selection process is often the most
time consuming step in producing a design.
• All the plants must fit well with the other
elements of the design to make it look
attractive.
• The major design qualites to consider in
selecting plants for the landscape are line,
form, texture, and color.
The Art and Science
of Growing Plants
• What is line?
• So everything in the landscape has line.
Whether it is natural or artifical.
• Line gives the viewer’s eye direction and
movement.
• Lines also create emotional and
psychological responses form the viewer
The Art and Science
of Growing Plants
• Line Cont..
• Vertical Lines are severe and when used in
excess causes a feeling of tension and
nervousness
• Horizontal lines provide relaxing pleasant
emotional responses
The Art and Science
of Growing Plants
• What is form?
• It is the three demensional shape of the
plant. Examples of forms or plant shape
include: Columar, Wide -Oval, pyramidal,
round, vase shaped, and weeping
Wide-oval
•
•
•
•
•
Much wider than tall
Often a small tree
Branches low to the ground
Works well to frame & screen
A focal point plant
Wide-oval
Vase-shaped
•
•
•
•
High, wide-spreading branches
Usually gives excellent shade
Allows human activity underneath
Make excellent street trees
Vase-shaped
Pyramidal
• Shape is less noticeable as the trees mature
• Accent plant
• Large, high branching trees allow human
activity beneath
Pyramidal
Round
•
•
•
•
•
Width & Height are nearly equal
Usually Dense
Lawn trees
Can be to create grove effects
If large, can be used to create heavy shade
Round
Columnar
•
•
•
•
Much taller than wide
Accent Plant
Frames views & structures
Useful in formal settings
Columnar
Weeping
•
•
•
•
Very Graceful
Attracts the eye (focal point)
Screens
Not useful if you want to use the lawn
underneath the tree
Weeping
Weeping
The Art and Science
of Growing Plants
• What is Texture?
– It is the appearance of the pant in terms of
coarseness or fineness, roughness or
smoothness, heaviness or lightness, denseness
or thinness.
The Art and Science
of Growing Plants
• There are some rules of design to keep in
mind as you consider the texture of plants.
• Monotony results if all the plants in the
landscape have similar textures. Therefore
use some variation to add interest.
The Art and Science
of Growing Plants
• What is Color?
– It is the final design quality of plants to
consider. Color has the greatest visual impact
of all the design qualities
The Art and Science
of Growing Plants
• Color Cont..
• The colors of visible light are divided into
two many groups:
– Warm Colors
– Cool Colors
The Art and Science
of Growing Plants
• Color Cont..
• Warm colors are :
–
–
–
–
Yellow
Orange
Red
They appear to be striking, stimulating, and
cheerful and advances toward the viewer.
High in visual energy
The Art and Science
of Growing Plants
• Color Cont..
• Cool colors are:
–
–
–
–
–
Violet
Blue
Green
They have a low visual energy
They invoke a feelign of restfullness and
peacefullness
The Art and Science
of Growing Plants
• The main purpose of using plants in the
landscape is to provide a natural green
setting that creates an atmosphere of
restfulness
Principles of Design
• The selection is based on the principles of
art or design. The principles of design
referred to in the book include repetition,
variety, balance, emphasis, sequence, and
scale.
Principles of Design
• What is Repetition?
– Keeping the plants simple by repeating forms,
texture, and colors of the plants throughout the
design. The repetition of the design qualities
of plants contributes to unity in the landscape.
Principles of Design
• What is Variety?
– This is where you provide variety in the design
by selecting some plants with different qualities
of line, form, texture, or color from the mass of
plants
Principles of Design
• What is Balance?
• This is where the design is classified as
formal or informal.
• Formal is where the design is symmetrical
and has the same plantings on each side of
the view
Principles of Design
• Balance Cont..
• Informal designs are said to be
asymmetrical and have different plants and
different sizes of plants on each side of the
view
Principles of Design
• What is Emphasis?
– It indicates dominance of some elements of the
design over others.
Principles of Design
• What is Sequence?
– is the uniformity of change from one item in
the landscape to the next. Changes of at least
one quality of form, texture, or color form one
area of the planting to anther gives transition
Principles of Design
• What is Scale?
• is the proportion of one object to another.
It also means the relationship of an object
with a designated standard such as a
building or a person
Shrubs
• Multistemmed
• Used as the wall element
Selecting a Shrub
• Pay attention to:
–
–
–
–
–
The silhouette of the shrub
Its branching structure
Size
Texture & Density
Color Contributions
• Pay attention to:
–
–
–
–
Attraction to birds & other wildlife
Existing soil conditions
Hardiness
Resistance to attacks by insects & disease
Types of Shrubs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Globular
Low & Creeping
Spreading
Arching
Pyramidal
Upright & Loose
Columnar
Globular
•
•
•
•
As wide as is tall
Attracts attention
Accent plant
Use with a single pyramidal to create a
strong eye attraction
• Does not mass very well.
Globular
Low & Creeping
•
•
•
•
•
Low growing
Much wider than tall
Masses well
Use to edge sidewalks or cascade over walls
Controls erosion
Low & Creeping
Spreading
•
•
•
•
•
Wider than tall
Medium to large shrub
Masses well
Use at corners of buildings
Useful for screening, privacy & traffic
control
Spreading
Arching
•
•
•
•
•
Wider than tall
Graceful
Softens corners
Background for flowers & statues
Provides screening
Arching
Pyramidal
•
•
•
•
Taller than wide
Attracts attention
Usually evergreen
Use to mark entries
Pyramidal
Upright & Loose
•
•
•
•
Taller than wide
Used for screening & framing
Used to soften buildings
Can closely space to create privacy
Upright & Loose
Columnar
•
•
•
•
Width about half of height
Flat topped & dense
Use for hedges if closely placed
Mass closely to create a solid wall
Columnar