Landscaping
People everywhere desire beauty around them. Thus, it's natural that landscaping continues to grow in popularity. It's likely safe to say that vegetable beds with cucumbers and tomatoes have long since become tiresome.
Today, people want more: greater culture, greater harmony, greater design. Landscaping offers all the possibilities to turn dreams into reality, as it is precisely designed to create beauty and balance while preserving nature and adding artistic elements.
Basics of Landscaping
In Russia, most land plots purchased with a house resemble wastelands rather than gardens, let alone well-maintained grounds. In truth, a wasteland is a sign of nature's weakness against human ignorance, which has disrupted the biological balance. It is now up to us to restore it.
Begin with the basics. What exactly is a landscape? From a scientific point of view, it's a relatively large area with all its natural undulations. In our case, the landscape refers to the specific area of land to be enhanced.
Landscaping is not just planting flowers in beds. It includes all actions to improve the ecological quality of the site: caring for fertile soil layers, installing irrigation systems, increasing the number of artificial ponds, and more.
Preparing the Site for Landscaping
If you've decided to landscape your yard, your first step should not be a full-scale planting of cheerful greenery across the entire area. First, assess the risk of soil over-saturation with water—especially during rainy seasons or snowmelt—since most plants cannot withstand excessive moisture.
If the risk is high, install a drainage system to redirect excess water. This measure is also essential if groundwater is close to the surface.
Next, protect soil from erosion. Achieve this through dense root networks: lay imported sod or sow grass seeds for lawns.
Then plan to divide the yard into sectors using shrubs. These plants serve not only as dividers but also as windbreaks—protecting soil from strong winds. Trees also help, shielding the area from weather extremes and drawing excess moisture from deep soil layers.
But don’t assume water will always be sufficient. You must plan for artificial ponds, waterfalls, and streams to increase air humidity. Also, install an irrigation system. Use a second pipe layer (since drainage is already in place) with outlets on the surface.
Plant Selection Criteria
Plant selection for landscaping considers not only decorative features but also health and functional benefits:
- Decorativeness is often the top priority. A landscaped area becomes visually appealing through a balanced mix of deciduous and coniferous trees, perennials and annuals, lawns, and groundcovers.
- Functionality includes protection from sun and wind, air humidification, and stabilization of temperature fluctuations. It also improves sanitary conditions: reduces dust and noise, and removes harmful microorganisms from the air.
- Health benefits from plants improve well-being and mental performance, and positively affect health. Phytoncides enrich air microbiota, benefiting the cardiovascular and nervous systems, lungs, and suppressing bacterial and fungal growth.
Principles of Composition in Landscaping
Since landscaping uses group plantings, it's crucial to select plants that harmonize. Unlike single plantings, where beauty comes from individuality, groupings require thoughtful matching: one plant should enhance and complement another.
The greatest visual impact comes from careful attention not only to color (of flowers, fruits, foliage, or bark) but also to shape and canopy density—each adding bold accents to the overall composition.
But don't just consider appearance now and here. Remember that plant color changes throughout the year.
Time is also critical in terms of individual plant growth. The growth rates of herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees vary significantly. Therefore, in landscaping, keep in mind that within a few years, some plants may need to be relocated from the main group.
Vertical Planning of Plants
Organizing spatial structure is key to perception in landscaping. Thus, one major goal is not only to unite garden sections but also to create a natural connection between sky and earth.
This is achieved through vertical planning: arranging plants based on their shape, height, and volume. For example, terracing created by differences in shrub and tree heights provides a striking backdrop. This principle is ideal for creating backdrops, screens, or stage-like settings for fountains, sculptures, and flowerbeds.
Common vertical planning approaches include:
- Linear plantings, especially narrow columnar forms of deciduous and coniferous trees. While useful for small gardens due to minimal space usage, they are essential in large landscapes and urban planning. The sky-to-earth connection is created by placing tall, narrow forms along pathways or open areas. Trees with upward-growing branches, not spreading canopies, mimic colonnades and create a solemn atmosphere.
- Living hedges, used in large and small gardens, in formal or naturalistic forms of deciduous or coniferous species. Often called 'green bricks,' they serve as effective fences, protecting from wind, sun, and prying eyes, while also acting as decorative features.
- Clambering (liana-like) plants, which hold a special place in landscaping. They decorate walls, arches, covered walkways, and gazebos. Their leaves, like tiles, overlap and shield from dust, rain, and enrich surrounding air with oxygen. The pattern formed by leaves and long stems enhances even the most unattractive wall: the unique mosaic of kiwi, Amur grape, honeysuckle blooms, climbing roses, or clematis... Importantly, they maintain decorative function in winter through their delicate, lacy framework. Another advantage: rapid growth and small footprint, making them invaluable in landscaping.
Horizontal Planning of Plants
Yet, horizontal planes must not be overlooked. Horizontal planning isn't just lawns—it includes groundcovers placed according to their decorative and practical traits.
The beauty of using groundcovers lies in their low maintenance: they don’t need frequent mowing, and they protect soil from weeds and erosion. Moreover, most leafy species bloom for long periods, and coniferous ones maintain decorative value year-round.
A Persian handwoven carpet—such is the impression created by careful use of texture, color palette, and delicate forms of dwarf and groundcover plants. These plants serve as unique design elements, adding striking accents on a monotonous lawn.
Groundcovers are especially valuable in landscaping where lawns are hard to maintain, soil conditions are poor, on slopes, or under trees.
Naturally, lawns are most commonly used in landscaping. They unite single plantings of shrubs, trees, plant groups, and design features.
A parterre lawn may serve as a garden's signature feature: demanding in care, not suitable for walking, but rewarding with a magazine-cover-perfect appearance after proper maintenance.
Equally attractive is the meadow lawn: wild and meadow flowers in its composition look vibrant and joyful from spring to autumn. However, remember: large areas are best seen from a distance. Avoid placing such lawns in the foreground. Once faded, plants lose decorative appeal and may suggest neglect. But from afar, this is less noticeable—attention is drawn to blooming species.
