Aesthetics in Planting Design
This section should help you to read and create planting plans
Subjectivity
You can’t account for taste. There are many garden styles, doing a good job of the style that represents your client is your objective.
Planting Styles
Formal vs Informal
Formal gardens rely on strict geometry in shapes and in placement of items on axes. Whereas informal gardens don’t necessarily have the same rigidity and are structured with asymmetry or no symmetry.
Formal
Formal French
Symmetry is a strong part of French formal design. Order is to be created within the space.
Potager comes from the French language meaning ornamental kitchen garden. Too historically in Australia a garden was something to supplement your diet as well as look good. Can be formal or informal.
Other
Xeriscapes
A xeriscape is a planting the relies on no or extremely limited water input. The climate and bioregion determine the planting palette.
Informal
English Cottage
Informal style with a high volume and density of plants. Plantings don’t necessarily stick to a colour palette and there is often a variety of textures.
Perennial
Focus around the plants within a bed. Perennial plants are used to create a space that changes over the year and is built upon over time.
Native: Natural
In Australia it is a recreation of the natural bushland.
Meadow
Intermixed flowering specimens.
Plant Forms
Texture
Change over time
Other information
Session Outline
General design principles
Planting Styles
Plant forms
Texture
Change over time
Presentations
Resources
Guild Park & Horticulture Plans
Activity
Guild Park & Horticulture Plans Read pages 60-86
Use the
Create a planting schematic on the provided plan here.