THE FUNDAMENTAL LANDSCAPE FORMULATHE FUNDAMENTAL LANDSCAPE FORMULA Like compositions of all other types, landscape design for the small place can be reduced to a formula. Of course this formula is capable of infinite variation; so infinite, in fact, that sometimes it is hard to see that two very different examples are really built upon the same basis. Nevertheless, it is there. There is always a public or foreground area, a service area, and a private area occupied by lawns, play space, and gardens. In working out the formula for a particular site all the basic canons of design come into play. Balance, coherence, unity, symmetry, and other principles are used. Emphasis is resorted to, variety is produced, repetition is employed to gain an effect. But let us not try to discuss all these abstruse things. Hubbard and Kimball, in their masterly book Landscape Design, have done it about as well as it can be done. We have selected a fairly large piece of land and have developed it, by degrees, to a rather unusually high state of complexity. All sorts of features have been introduced to show what the possibilities are; not, however, with the intention of suggesting that on any one property so many projects be undertaken or so many activities provided for. The task of selection must be yours. If your interest lies along horticultural lines you will be interested in gardens; if you are a nature lover, wild flowers and woodland areas will appeal to you. If you are interested in games and sports your attention will probably be drawn in this direction. To maintain such a property as we have chosen for illustration would be difficult and costly. Nevertheless, for the purpose of example it is more practical to show many projects interrelated and correlated on one property than many properties showing but one or two each. planning the garden.... |
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