Lesson 3: Looking at the various design elements

Once your site is plotted onto a base map you are almost ready to start designing. However, to have a pleasing design you need to take into consideration several factors. First off, you need to identify the private, public and service areas of your yard. Then remember to incorporate the basic design concepts into your plan.

Public, Private & Service Areas

Most of the ideas presented throughout this course will apply to landscaping for both commercial and residential sites. However, a residential site does have a few differing characteristics than a commercial site. When you are thinking of landscaping, a home landscape will have three distinct areas: public, private and service.

It is important to recognize these three areas in your design as the needs of the landscape may be affected by the specific purpose of a particular space. A commercial site will generally have only public and service areas. This is not to say that a commercial property will never have private areas. Some businesses have private areas for their employees. Generally, these areas are for breaks and/or smoking areas. But there is no reason these commercial public areas could not be brightened up with the appropriate landscaping. Following are the explanations of the three areas of landscaping.

The first area to take a look at in your site is the “public” area or zone. The public area generally presents a sense of entry. This usually includes the front yard, driveway, sidewalks and entryway to the home. The public area of corner homes may actually include the side and backyard as well as the front.

Front yards may need to have some sort of spatial enclosure, such as a hedge or low fence. Keep in mind that these features should not obstruct the view in and out of the driveway. But such a feature may give a sense of privacy. You need to check local zoning ordinances as there may be local restrictions on the types of walls, fences, etc. that you have in your front yard.

An important consideration of the public area is the front door. The front door and area around it are a natural focal point for the site. The walk areas are an important feature of the public area. The walks should be unobstructed and wide enough to comfortably walk on while carrying packages.

The service area is a functional part of the landscape. It may hold sheds, clotheslines, wood or garbage storage, and perhaps a vegetable garden. You may want to screen some of these features; however, you generally need to have easy access to them.

The private area is the most important to develop as this is where you will no doubt spend the most time. This area may contain a deck, patio, water feature, play area, or other features for entertaining. This will probably be the area you spend the most of your landscaping dollars. This is also an area where you may want to screen with hedges or a fence for privacy. Just use care in screening so that you do not exclude the user from entering any necessary parts of the property. The private area will no doubt have multiple functions, especially if you have a large yard. It may host a barbeque area and a also a children’s play area.

The total landscape plan should result from careful study of how to blend all three spaces into one unified landscape. In the next section, design elements will be discussed and using the appropriate design elements can help you achieve that sense of unity.

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