Landscape Design Tips

Landscape Design Inspiration from England

February 28, 2014

Creating a landscape that expresses your point of view doesn’t have to mean reinventing the wheel. Look no further than the historical treasures of the English countryside for inspiration when planning your green space. You’ll find that these lush remnants of yesteryear hearken back to a time when life was wonderfully slower. Incorporating these timeless classics into your landscape design lends a whimsical element to your own unique perspective. Get your creative juices flowing through this virtual journey to three of England’s most breathtaking gardens, located at Barnsley House, Buscot Park and Iford Manor.

Barnsley House
The gardens at Barnsley House of Gloucestershire were designed with approachability, rather than overstated opulence, in mind. Award-winning gardener Rosemary Verey completely transformed the garden into the beauty it is today in the 1950s and went on to mentor future generations of gardeners. Trademarks of the garden include an ornamental fruit and vegetable garden, Laburnum Walk, intimate winding paths and statues by Simon Verity. The love and expertise Rosemary invested into bringing the very best out of this natural space has been appreciated by many over the decades, including the Prince of Wales. Rosemary’s use of visual illusion and color combination is a must-see in this landscape.

Buscot Park
In the heart of Oxfordshire is Buscot Park and the gardens that introduce us to this 18th-century estate. Where Barnsley House soothes, Buscot Park excites. Between the beautifully-preserved frescoes, inviting walkways and one-of-a-kind gardens, the genius of this masterpiece is evident in every cardinal direction. The eastern property features the Peto Water Garden, one of the most-admired water gardens in the United Kingdom, with its formal Italianate style and attractive stair and canal structures. To the west is the Four Seasons garden in full bloom with lilies, bulbs and flowering trees, according to the time of year. The south end is intact with mature woodlands that help border the estate, and the north boasts views of Little Lake and the Thames plain. Sir Harold Peto, the artistic mind behind the grounds, provided excellent examples of retaining walls and created seamless divisions of gardens within gardens.

historic sources of landscape design inspiration — A garden room at Buscot Park.
Photo from Timeless Landscape Design

Iford Manor
Sir Harold Peto, Master Gardener of Buscot Park, also expressed his artistry surrounding Iford Manor Estate, his own home in Wiltshire. The grounds are literally set on a pedestal, poetically situated atop a hillside overlooking the Frome River. The pastoral setting, sculptures and terrace design give the gardens an ambiance of sweeping romance. Peto was a lover of historical landscape elements himself, made clear by his use of Roman columns and Italianate and French design. Notice especially the skill with which he incorporated plants into stone to create the look of steps that have always existed — one of the many gardening feats for which he is famous.

landscape design inspiration from England — Iford Manor
Photo from Timeless Landscape Design

Ready to add some historical context to your modern landscape? Contact us at Dargan Landscape Architects so we can help you incorporate timeless elements into your design. Who wouldn’t want another reason to stop and smell the roses?

Dargan Landscape Architects Shares Tips for Four Season Gardens and Lessons from the Field

February 27, 2014

If you haven’t registered to receive Dargan Landscape Architects’ Landscape Your Life ezine, you’re missing out on some great information! Our ezines are filled with great landscape design inspiration and tips, videos from the field, our latest events and appearances and more. Here’s a look at what we shared in our latest ezine!

Atlanta landscape architects — Dargan Landscape Architects

Tips for a Four Season Garden
Much like woodland creatures, we tend to let our gardens hibernate in the winter and early spring. However, gardens are meant to entertain us all year long! At the 1^st Camellia & Garden Symposium a few weeks ago, Mary Palmer and Hugh gave the keynote lecture sharing planting design ideas, camellia underplantings, edgings and two case studies, as well as how camellias can be used to enhance our landscapes all year long for a true four season garden.

Lessons From the Field
In another video, we show how Mary Palmer and Hugh tag teamed to transform what was best described as a “Sticky Widget” of a landscape into a lush, gorgeous landscape. With our clients’ vision in place, Hugh began work on the bare bones of the landscape, while Mary Palmer later added the embellishments to the family home landscape.

Fertile Thoughts?
With spring right around the corner, there’s no better time to make plans to turn your landscape design dreams into a reality. Think about where your landscape and home environment are now and where you’d like for it to be this year, and then contact us online or at 404-231-3889 for a free worksheet and a complementary garden design consultation.

For more landscape design tips, ideas and information, be sure to check out our blog. Also, register your email address with Landscape Your Life to receive our ezines, as well as free worksheets and webinars covering a variety of topics to help you create a healthy and vibrant landscape you and your family can enjoy!

Timeless Cottage Gardens

February 26, 2014

Cottage style gardens can create picturesque landscapes that have their own unique personality and charm. These gardens are brimming with beauty as they showcase delicate pastels and vibrant pops of color, while whisking you away with features like winding pathways, fences, trellises, arbors and benches. Imagine an elegant English garden with a slightly more rustic and wild appeal.

Lush and colorful cottage gardens are achieved through an informal, free-flowering layout. This relaxed design approach ensures that variation and asymmetry are embraced to become an integral part of the garden’s character and charm. Flowers are allowed to cascade over planters and pathways are allowed to wind and meander. Plants are arranged in scattered clumps rather than straight lines and pathways are made from pebbles and stepping stones, instead of neat pavers and perfectly-aligned bricks.

The second-most distinguishing factor of a cottage style garden is the abundance of color and generous placement of greenery. Whimsical, bright color combinations and unexpected accents are created with a mix of flowers, while vibrant vines cover fences and climb arbors.

Cashiers landscape architects — Source: The Romantic Garden via Pinterest

The key to achieving a gorgeous cottage style garden is through a subtle organization and underlining deliberateness. Choosing a theme to coordinate colors and textures, for example, can help achieve this feeling of “artful chaos” or “happy clutter,” as experts have put it. Enclosing areas in fencing and gravel hardscaping can also help create definition and boundaries.

Traditional cottage gardens are overflowing with flowers and old-fashioned favorites you remember from your grandmother’s garden. These include snapdragon, cosmos and foxglove with the finishing touch almost always being a white picket fence. However, you can achieve your own unique cottage garden that expresses your personality and lifestyle using native plants, your favorite hardy perennials and an iron rod fence. As Sunset magazine’s editors put it, “cottage gardening is an attitude.”

landscape architects in atlanta — Dargan Landscape Architects

Dargan Landscape Architects can help transform your property into a dreamy cottage garden, while healing the earth and letting nature speak through a healthy and beautiful landscape design. Browse our portfolio, and then contact Mary Palmer and Hugh Dargan at 404-231-3889 to begin discussing a potential project.

Integrating Hardscapes into Your Landscape with Ease

February 24, 2014

Hardscapes are important features of any landscape design. They offer benefits such as erosion control, less maintenance, increased property value, increased accessibility to gardens and water conservation. How do you go about integrating hardscapes into your landscape?

To achieve a cohesive and harmonious look between your hardscapes and landscape, use these helpful tips:

1. Use traditional design principles in non-traditional ways – While most of us don’t have very large properties or formal gardens anymore, techniques used in these types of spaces can still guide you today. When it comes to integrating hardscapes into your landscape, seek symmetrical balance, a timeless design principle. Create a generous path and place an equal number and type of plants on either side. The formal lines and balance of the arrangement can be updated with new materials and less formal plants for a more modern look.

Atlanta landscape design — Dargan Landscape Architects

2. Use repetition and rhythm to achieve balance – We’ve emphasized the importance of repetition and rhythm before, but it’s worth mentioning again because it’s a great technique for creating unity and cohesion. For example, to complement a linear hardscape, such as a sidewalk with a fence, place several different plantings at measured intervals to create rhythm. This will make the setting appear harmonious. Such a technique can also be used on walkways and stairs with plantings on two sides. By using the same plants on both sides, you achieve repetition and rhythm.

3. Let plants spill over onto the hardscape. Nothing makes a deck, patio or other hardscape look more natural than draping plantings around them. This technique also softens the harsh lines of hardscapes. Just be sure to maintain plantings, so they don’t become too overgrown!

Looking for more hardscape inspiration? Check out photos of some of Dargan Landscape Architects’ hardscape projects on Facebook, and let us know which ones are your favorite.

If you’re in need of assistance in creating a new look for your landscape, contact us. Whether you need a master plan for your property or just a tune-up, Dargan Landscape Architects can help you find the timeless look you’ve always wanted for your landscape. Contact us today to learn more about our services.

The Approach & Arrival Sequence: Memorable Moments

February 20, 2014

One of the goals of creating a timeless landscape is to create memorable moments. When it comes to the approach and arrival sequence, memorable moments are visual images that occur at any point from the street to the front door. There are three areas in the approach and arrival sequence where you should focus on creating memorable moments. These include the drive portal and corridor, the parking court and the landing.

The drive portal, or entry node, consists of the apron, mailbox, plantings and drive surface. A memorable moment here could be a gate accented by plantings that frames a narrowing view of the corridor. Pay special attention to the apron, which is the interface between your private drive and the public road. Choosing a high contrast material to the public road for your apron creates a memorable moment.

The corridor is the drive between the portal and parking court. This also sets the tone with plantings, lighting, curves, etc. Offering a glimpse of your home along the drive increases anticipation. To jazz up your corridor, add bands and/or curbs in organic materials such as cobblestone.

designing an approach and arrival sequence for residential landscapes — Dargan Landscape Architects

A parking court is any driveway that brings cars to the front door. Think of it as a parking garden, a place with shady spots to park a car, textured pavement for visual interest, and flowers and pots for a personalized look. Soften large areas of pavement with islands of plant material. Above all, make it clear where to park.

designing a parking court for a residential landscape — Dargan Landscape Architects

The landing at the front of the house, which is the culmination of the approach and arrival sequence, should be designed to ease the transition from outdoors to indoors. Here, you can make a statement with the shape of the walk leading up to the walkway (straight or curved), as well as with a mix of materials to add texture to large expanses of pavement.

landings in landscape design — Dargan Landscape Architects

Whether you need help with your driveway or a master plan for your entire landscape, contact Dargan Landscape Architects. We’ll help you develop a plan that will transform your property and create memorable moments for all who enter.

For more information about creating a timeless landscape, order a copy of Mary Palmer’s book “Timeless Landscape Design” from our online store.

Landscape Design Tips

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