Every landscape is uniquely its own environment and can look professional or homespun. With a spark of creativity and knowing a few guidelines can give your landscape a prestigious or more natural feel. There are a few concepts in design that can be helpful.Consistency and repetition Consistency and repetition can bring harmony into a landscape. Repetition in a landscape can be thought of as in a linear succession or happening within a series and can be ever slightly different and yet is another similar element such as repeating similar rocks or plant groups.

Unity and harmony through consistency and repetition is created much like music that is built upon repetition. It is like listening to the same song again and again, it is worth repeating. Unity should be one of the primary goals in a landscape design. This unity can also be accomplished through similar textures, sizes, heights and color. Nature is a good place to look at for ideas. In geographical areas you will see soil, rock and plant types that are similar.

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Orton-B&A-pergolaBefore -- and a few hours later --> After a Timber Frame Pergola Installation
Theme A theme you are passionate about can also be used as a way to implement a repetition and consistency, e.g. statues, ornaments, decorum such as birds, frogs or bugs or whatever sparks your creativity. This repetition should be implemented through at least one of the elements of your landscape.Simplicity Clutter however, is distractive. Simplicity is almost always best in art, design and landscape. Keep the design simple, remembering it can always be added to later if it deems it needs more. Choose just two or three colors or plants you really like to repeat throughout a landscape or garden.

Transition A natural transition keeps a flow whereas an abrupt or major change in the landscape design doesn't feel professional. Changes should be gradual according to the element, height, form, size or color. You can also create illusion of distance by using warmer colors against cool colors to create a seemingly larger garden area. For example one nice transition is to plant plants with larger leaves and a heavy texture with small smooth leaf plants in the front.

Symmetrical balance Give your landscape a symmetrical balance, or mirrored refection of itself, wherein both sides have part of all of the same shape, form or height. Not everything in nature is structured as it is in formal gardens. This can also be accomplished by aligning a hedge or important feature along a property line with a house wall. People enjoy balance and the feeling of order and stability.

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Asymmetrical Balance Carefully placed asymmetrical balanced (or in other words unbalance elements) for free a form and abstract appearance add a natural and relaxed feeling. Adding a few what seems randomly arranged visual elements gives contrast and an eye-catching interest between the flow of a balanced landscape.

Asymmetrical may be better understood as actually being unbalanced, abstract, or free form while still creating unity and balance through the repetition of some elements. Perceiving asymmetry in a garden may be somewhat more difficult but it is more natural and relaxed. Although they may seem randomly arranged, they are however carefully positioned for a visual balance.

An example of this is where a path or bed shape is different on each side of a dividing line. One side could be curved and the opposite side straight and they still share the same plants or elements. This kind of contrast is interesting and very pleasing to the eye. The key is to maintain unity and repetitive balance using things such as rocks, plants and decor.

Color Color adds life to a landscape! Colors can direct your eye to a particular area. Brighter colors such as red, yellow and orange are used in painting to bring objects closer to you. It is the same technique used in landscaping. Warm colors are usually in the foreground and cool colors like pastels, greens and blues in the background that seem farther away. This creates a feeling of a larger area. Black and white are versatile neutral colors used in both the foreground and the background.

Lines Lines in landscaping is an important structural principle in landscape designing. It is the way your eye moves or as it flows across the landscape. Straight lines give a strong, ordered feel to an area that seems to direct you in. A wavy line has a gentle, free flowing, relaxed feel that tends to invite you in.

Outdoor Architectural Structures An outdoor shade structure such as a pergola is a welcome element that can be implemented on a grand scale or as small as a trellis on a side yard. Shade structures can add element, lines and beauty to a landscape that creates a clean, useable and more inviting atmosphere.

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