I encourage do-it-yourselfers to learn the basic concepts and techniques employed by professional designers, which include the following:
Not only will these concepts serve as building blocks for improving the look of your own yard, but studying them will also generate numerous landscape design ideas for you. That is, browsing the photos I supply in the resources below will provide access to landscape design ideas that you can apply immediately; but, in addition to that, digesting the explanations that accompany the photos will open up a whole new window for you into the world of designing.
Landscape Design Ideas: Landscape Color Schemes
Browse these photos showing landscape color schemes in action! See examples illustrating such concepts as:
- Contrast in color
- "Warm" colors
- "Cool" colors
View photos: Landscape Color Schemes
Related resources:
Landscape Design Ideas: Plant Form and Texture
You may wonder what seemingly abstract terms like "form" and "texture" have to do with improving the look of your yard. You may object that you're not painting a masterpiece, after all; you're just putting plants in the ground. Yet it is not coincidental that our subject shares some terminology with the world of art. The backyard is your canvas; your understanding of concepts such as form and texture will determine the beauty of the resulting picture.
Flowers may be sufficient to achieve the color schemes you desire, but when it comes to form and texture, you'll find the need for other allies, such as ornamental grasses, as well as trees and shrubs with interesting branching patterns and foliage.
View photos: Plant Form and Texture
Related resources:
Landscape Design Ideas: Focal Points, Scale and Line
Designers create focal points to direct the eye to key areas in the yard. Scale and line are other concepts that deal with eye movement; we see examples of "line" at work all the time, in the form of hedges and fences. Learn about these tried-and-true landscape design ideas, concepts that serve as the cornerstones of the world's picture-perfect gardens.
View photos: Focal Points, Scale and Line
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Did You Know?
Resources such as these on landscape design ideas are but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the free features available on this Landscaping site, which include:
