The New Fundamentals of Garden Design 2025

As with any project or endeavor, you should have an idea of what you need and want to achieve when designing the garden.  This lesson will discuss the 3 primary objectives of garden design.  Having this information will help you when thinking about developing your own garden or when you are talking with a client. The more you can focus on these overall objectives, the more creative your design solution can become. 

When we design, we're working on a flat sheet of paper - developing ideas, laying out space to eventually become a patio, lawn or planting area and water features.  While the paper may be flat, the garden isn't!  As we draw and work up ideas, we're also, mentally, designing in 3-dimensional space.  We're creating seating walls, arbors, private enclosures and elevation changes, all to achieve the objectives of both the client and for us as landscape designers.  This lesson will explain these 3 planes and how we can use them to create greater interest in our designs.

As with architecture, gardens need to be visually and structurally sound.  Planting areas will meld into hardscapes; focal points will capture the eye and help guide visitors throughout the garden.  All of architecture and garden design evolve out of 2 basic shapes - the circle and the square. How these 2 geometric shapes relate to each other and are combined within our composition will have a direct impact on the visual and structural success of our designs.  This lesson will look at the importance of combining these shapes and how this reinforces the 3 planes of enclosure we discussed in the previous lesson.

This lesson will provide examples of different form composition as used in actual designs. 

Understanding and incorporating solid form composition in your design will lead to greater success and creativity.  It also provides a sound footing for when your design becomes a reality and is built by a landscape or general contractor.  This lesson will summarize this whole concept of combining shapes.

Right now, we're still building our foundation of understanding garden design.  At the end of Section 5, you'll be given an assignment where you'll do your first design exercise using all of the information we've covered so far.   

While it may seem that combining shape as discussed in the previous section would restrict your creativity, it is the basis for developing, not only more creative designs, but garden plans that have greater movement and greater interest.  Remember, right now we're still delving into the LAYOUT of the garden.   Think of it as if you were baking a cake.  You want the layers to be fit together neatly. Once you start to apply the frosting the cake takes on a whole new look.  The same is true with the garden.  We want the foundation - the layers - to fit together nicely.  When we bring in the plants (frosting) our garden design takes on a whole new look.  Straight lines become blurred with plants tumbling over edges, trees and taller shrubs provide greater interest and shade.  Water features and sculpture become focal points, drawing us deeper into the landscape. 

Design Approach, as you will soon see, gives us direction and helps to take best advantage of the space we have to work within.  Once we've developed a strong garden plan, we can start applying the "frosting" to reinforce our design solution.

This lesson will jump us into our first design approach and the one I personally start every conceptual design with.

Arc and Tangent simply takes our rectangular approach and adds arcs, softening the overall look and feel of our design.  Again, form composition is critical to this and every approach I'll be discussing.

Sometimes the shape of a property is awkward.  This is where alternative design approaches can help to better utilize the space.  Choosing a Rectangular-45 approach can help to direct one's eye and physical movement in the garden with more interest than a simple rectangular design.

One of the strongest of our design approach methods, but you need ample room for this to be effective.  In this lesson we'll look at some examples of Radial Design within the garden.

This is the one that most people think they want to see, flowing, naturalistic curves winding through the garden.  Oddly, this is also one of the most difficult to achieve successfully.  For sweeping curves to work effectively you need space - room to create large, lazy arcs where shrubs and trees can grow and provide movement and views throughout the landscape.  When you have the space, this is a great approach for developing the "I don't want to see straight lines" style of garden.

While form composition and design approach hold your design together both visually and physically, using the design principles I will discuss over the next 3 lessons will work to pull all of the elements of your design together.  These principles go beyond simple form composition and design approach - this is where all the other elements of your design play their part.  This includes plants, paving materials any other component of your design.  With this introduction you'd gain a better understanding of the importance of these 3 principles of design.

We want our gardens to have a harmonious relationship throughout our design.  Unity works to achieve this and is the first design principle I'll discuss.

Order helps to determine the ultimate organization of the landscape.  Form composition and design approach create visual order, but there are 3 more ways to introduce order in your design, this lesson will discuss these principles.

Unity and Order refer more to the composition of the landscape.  Rhythm refers to timing and movement.

when we view a garden we do so over a period of time - time to walk through the landscape, time to review the design on paper.  Compare rhythm in the garden with rhythm in music - in music the rhythm is formed by notes we call the beat.  The beat comes in recognizable patterns that provide structure to the music and influences how we experience the composition - the same is true in our garden designs.

For a garden to be built the design needs to be drawn to scale.  In this lesson we'll look at how to draw your site survey to scale using feet and inches (imperial) scale.

Many of us use metric rather than imperial measurements.  This lesson will jump into drafting to scale using metric values.

Now that you have a better understanding of drawing to scale let's look at actually drawing up a site survey, taking field measurements and transferring them to paper accurately and effectively.

Garden design is a cooperative process.  You meet with your client, discuss what they are hoping to achieve and then you create a design based on those criteria and your imagination.  The first design is referred to as the Concept Plan, something you can take to your client, spouse, friend - whoever you're designing for, and discuss your ideas and solutions.  Ideally, you'll go through at least 3 versions of your Concept Plan before settling on a final version to show your customer.  Over these next 4 lessons I'll demonstrate how I develop a concept plan (this was for an actual client).  At the end of this section, it will be your turn to create your first Concept Plan!

Chances are that your first design will not be your best.  By using trace paper overlay you can build on your ideas, rearrange the layout and try a different design approach.  In this lesson I'll build on my first concept plan.

Following the same formula as above, I'll keep refining my design ideas - all leading to my final solution.

This is what you should be working towards - developing ideas, refining or throwing the idea away and work towards a design solution that you can present confidently.

By demonstrating my process, it should help to clarify why this is a necessary step in the design process. 

After three refinements I feel that I have a design solution my client will accept.  Now I can dress it up with planting graphics (I don't need to know what species to use right now) and maybe some color to help sell my ideas.  Following this lesson, tackle the design assignment and see how you do and use all of the information we've covered so far.

Adding color to your concept plan can make a big difference in how your client views and understands your design intent.  Coloring isn't difficult, and learning how to layer and create depth will bring your design to life in a way that a black and white print can never attain.  This lesson will show you how you can use colored pencils and pastels to give your design a little extra presentation appeal.

As you develop your concept plan, ideally you want the plants your select to reinforce your design.  Hedging will help guide you down a path, Flowering plants or specimen trees will become focal points, etc.  Without even knowing the species you can still create a planting layout that will support your design.  Once you know WHAT you want the plant to do, then later you can choose the best plant to fullfill the need.  This lesson will go into this concept in greater depth.

Even though at the Concept Plan stage of your design you do not need to identify your plant choices by name, you still you want to convey the feeling and movement that plants will contribute to your final design.  Proper graphics will help to tie your planting scheme together, provide continuity and add a 3-dimensional effect to your plan.  In this lesson we'll cover a few simple ways to give your conceptual planting plan character and professionalism.

We've covered a lot of ground in just over 3 hours - but really, this is just the beginning.  From concept plans working drawings need to be developed - actual planting/landscape plans specifying what species, container size and number, irrigation plans, and maybe even low voltage lighting plans may be part of the project.

Thanks for being a part of the course and I hope to see you in another class down the line!

Sustainable landscapes are ecologically sound and responsible.  A sustainable landscape is one that cleans and retains water on site - both irrigation and rainwater, rather than letting it simply flow down the gutter.  It is selecting plants that are suited to the climate, require little pruning and provides a healthy home for pollinators and other wildlife.

This lesson will be a discussion on how I see garden design as an important component to creating sustainable gardens regardless of where you live.