As a landscape architect, you want to create outdoor spaces that are beautiful, functional, and sustainable throughout the year. But how can you design landscape projects that work for every season, especially in areas with extreme weather changes? In this article, we will explore some landscape design principles and tips that can help you achieve this goal.
One of the most important aspects of designing for every season is selecting the right plants for your site. You need to consider the climate, soil, water, light, and maintenance requirements of each plant, as well as how they will look and perform in different seasons. For example, you can use evergreens, grasses, and shrubs to provide structure, color, and texture in winter, while adding perennials, annuals, and bulbs that bloom at different times of the year to create interest and variety in spring, summer, and fall. You can also use native plants that are adapted to your region and support local wildlife.
Wichtig ist es aber auch, zu wissen, was kann der Bauherr nachher auch unterhalten, schafft er das mit seinem Personal ben?tigt er dafür Schulungen oder externe Unterstützung… Wenn eine sch?ne, gut zusammengestellte Bepflanzung wegen schlechter Pflege nicht gedeiht, dann ist das nicht nachhaltig. Die Pflegem?glichkeiten müssen also genauso mit berücksichtigt werden.
Another way to design for every season is to incorporate hardscape elements that can enhance the functionality and aesthetics of your landscape. Hardscape elements are non-living features such as paths, walls, fences, benches, pergolas, fire pits, and water features. They can help define spaces, create focal points, improve accessibility, and offer comfort and enjoyment. For example, you can use paths to connect different areas of your landscape and guide visitors, while adding walls or fences to create privacy and shelter from wind or noise. You can also use benches or pergolas to provide seating and shade, or fire pits or water features to create warmth and ambiance.
A good approach is to use several hardscape elements that offer simultaneously different functional roles. For example, benches could be placed within a landscape to serve primarily for seating. Their use could also serve as focal points, landscape lighting fixtures, open space work spaces once fitted with appropriate electrical and Internet connectivity equipment as well as for general exercise or recreational purposes. By offering several potential functions through one landscape element, one is able to maximise their use and relevance regardless of the geographical location and/or season.
A third way to design for every season is to use seasonal accents that can add personality and charm to your landscape. Seasonal accents are decorative items that you can change or update according to the season or occasion. For example, you can use pots, planters, baskets, or containers to display seasonal plants or flowers, or add ornaments, sculptures, or art pieces that reflect your style or theme. You can also use lighting, candles, lanterns, or string lights to create a cozy and festive atmosphere, or use wreaths, banners, flags, or signs to celebrate holidays or events.
A final way to design for every season is to consider sustainability and how your landscape can reduce its environmental impact and enhance its resilience. Sustainability is the ability of your landscape to meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future. You can achieve this by using practices such as water conservation, soil improvement, mulching, composting, organic fertilizing, pest control, and pruning. You can also use materials that are durable, renewable, recycled, or locally sourced, and avoid using chemicals or pesticides that can harm the soil, water, or wildlife.
Eine gute Gel?ndemodellierung kann zum Beispiel dafür sorgen, dass das Regenwasser zwischengespeichert wird und dorthin kommt, wo es am meisten ben?tigt wird, das ist nachhaltig, weil so W?sserungen und Bew?sserungsanlagen reduziert werden k?nnen.
When choosing your plants, don’t forget about winter features too! That might include bright red berries from a winterberry shrub or crabapple tree, red stems on redtwig dogwood, beautifully textured bark like the Kentucky coffee tree, peeling bark from ninebark or river birch, persistent blooms from hydrangea, or distinctive seed heads on coneflower and ornamental grasses left to stand. ??? There are so many more examples too!
We have five months of winter in the Midwest or so I like to use outcropping stones or granite boulders as accents. It’s a great way to not just unify the landscape but can have many practical benefits too.