landscape architecture tips

A Look at the ASLA’s 2014 Outdoor Design Trends

April 9, 2014

Are you looking to spruce up your landscape before summer arrives? Whether you’re completely overhauling or just trying a new project, now’s the perfect time to get your yard in shape. For inspiration, check out this year’s hottest outdoor design trends, which are based on the results of the 2014 Residential Landscape Architecture Trends Survey conducted by the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Gardens and landscaped spaces. When it comes to use of space, gardens and landscaped spaces are expected to be the most popular, with outdoor living spaces — outdoor kitchens and entertainment spaces — coming in second, and outdoor recreation coming in third.

Atlanta landscape architects Mary Palmer and Hugh Dargan — Dargan Landscape Architects

Outdoor lighting. Demand for outdoor lighting solutions is rising as homeowners seek to extend enjoyment of their outdoor living areas into the night. Good lighting is necessary for safety, as well as to create ambiance. Outdoor lighting can be integrated into deck posts and stairs, added to pathways, and set on timers to conserve energy.

Cashiers landscape architects — Source: Facebook.com/theoutdoorlights

Also expected to be in demand are seating/dining areas, fire pits/fireplaces, grills and installed seating, such as benches, seat walls, ledges, etc. All these features make outdoor living spaces more welcoming by bringing the comforts of the indoors out.

Terraces, patios and decks. Landscape structures add architectural interest and are the foundation of many outdoor living areas. Terraces, patios and decks in particular, are garnering the most interest this year, followed by fencing, pergolas and decks.

Buckhead-Atlanta GA landscape architects — Dargan Landscape Architects
Photo Featured in Timeless Landscape Design

Low-maintenance landscapes. If you’re like many homeowners today, you may want to scale back your landscape to make it more manageable. You can still have a beautiful yard without all the upkeep. Try reducing lawn space, an eco-friendly and low-maintenance option. You could replace some of your lawn with hardscapes or perhaps consider a dry garden or xeriscaping.

Decorative water elements. Traditional swimming pools and spas remain popular, but this year’s trend leans towards decorative water elements, including waterfalls, ornamental pools, splash pools, grottos and water runnels or bubblers. Design is in the details!

Western NC landscape architects — Dargan Landscape Architects

Sustainable/eco-friendly design. Interest in conserving natural resources and improving the environment is still increasing. The most popular projects in this category include incorporating native/adapted drought-tolerant plants, drip/water-efficient irrigation, permeable paving, reduced lawn and recycled materials into the landscape.

Charleston SC landscape architects — Dargan Landscape Architects

Let us know which trends you’re most interested in by leaving a comment below.

If you’re ready to discuss the possibility of a master plan or tune up and want to incorporate any of the ASLA’s trends for 2014, contact Dargan Landscape Architects. We’d love to schedule a time to speak with you and talk about how we can help you turn your outdoor living space into your own oasis.

The Perimeter: Extending Your Living Spaces to the Outdoors

April 7, 2014

Lately, we’ve been discussing the points of our four-part landscape master plan. These points include the approach and arrival sequence, the hub, the perimeter and passages to destinations. Today, we will focus on the perimeter.

In her book “Timeless Landscape Design,” Mary Palmer offers this definition of the perimeter: “The perimeter consists of the outdoor spaces immediately adjacent to the house and within easy reach of interior rooms.” For example, the patio or deck off your kitchen or dining room is part of the perimeter of your landscape. However, the perimeter can be accessed from the living room, spa, basement and other rooms as well.

Atlanta landscape architects — Dargan Landscape Architects
Photo featured in Timeless Landscape Design

These perimeter areas invite you into the landscape, but without wandering too far. The perimeter is an extension of your home and should be customized to suit your lifestyle. Its purpose is convenient enjoyment of your landscape. Perimeter areas may be connected by adjoining pathways where one outdoor space flows into the next, or they may be completely contained as separate rooms within themselves.

Sea Island Ga landscape architects — Dargan Landscape Architects
Photo featured in Timeless Landscape Design

How do you go about building up the perimeter? Since it’s an extension of your home, consider using similar building materials your home is constructed of to create a seamless visual flow. A simple grass lawn with a few large paver stones may be all you need to create a perimeter space that blends easily with the rest of your home. However, most homeowners benefit from the additional living space provided by the perimeter. Ideas for these types of spaces include the creation of paved terraces, swimming pools, gardens featuring outdoor fireplaces or fire pits, loggias, arbors, dining pavilions, kitchen and herb gardens and raised flower beds.

Uses of perimeter spaces are as numerous as indoor spaces. They may be used for dining, reading, napping, sunning, cooking, swimming, playing, working alfresco, entertaining on a large or small scale and gardening, just to name a few. Functional pieces such as arbors, grills, pools, tables, swings, etc., in different combinations and in different settings work together to define the uses of the space.

The perimeter is just one part of what makes up a gorgeous and thoughtfully designed landscape. Contact Dargan Landscape Architects for help designing a four-part landscape master plan that fits your lifestyle. For additional information, purchase a copy of “Timeless Landscape Design” today.

Want to Add a Spot for Relaxation or Fun to Your Landscape? Think Swimming Pools!

March 31, 2014

There’s no denying the calming effect of water on our senses. Whether you’re swimming in it or just looking at it, water creates a feeling of tranquility and relaxation as it soothes and gives us a stronger connection with nature. This is the perfect start to building your own backyard oasis.

Adding a swimming pool or water feature to your landscape is sure to usher in good vibes and get in a bit of exercise or recreation. Anyone with a swimming pool knows the magnetic quality of taking a dip on a hot day, as well as the therapeutic benefits of gathering with family and friends for a bit of fun in the water.

The swimming pool in this backyard is the focal point of the landscape, with pathways connecting the pool house and other points in the yard to the pool. Visually, the pool also breaks up the expanse of green lawn and trees, while adding in a natural element.

Buckhead GA landscape architects — Dargan Landscape Architects
Photo Featured in Lifelong Landscape Design
Source: Marcia Weber, Gardens to Love; Photo Staged by Horticulturalist Mark Fleming

Placing fountains along one side of this swimming pool adds some additional surprises in this New Orleans courtyard. The fountains add a three-dimensional aspect to the pool, creating an exciting visual element, while introducing the soothing sound of water splashing in a pool.

New Orleans landscape design — Dargan Landscape Architects
Photo Featured in Lifelong Landscape Design

You can even incorporate water features into your landscape, so you can also enjoy them indoors. This captured view of a waterfall above a swimming pool in the backyard of a Buckhead home in Atlanta is absolutely gorgeous.

Or, your pool can offer a view itself. With an infinity pool, you feel as though right next to an adjacent body of water, such as a lake or ocean. By choosing interior colors for the pool that match the surrounding environment, as was done with this Sea Island, Ga., retreat, you’ll feel at home in nature.

For more inspiration and for help incorporating a swimming pool or water feature into your landscape, contact Dargan Landscape Architects.

Vistas and Captured Views Offer Stunning Perspectives of Landscape Features

March 27, 2014

When a landscape is thoughtfully designed with vistas and captured views, it can provide stunning perspectives from every vantage point. Vistas and captured views ensure that natural beauty can be enjoyed not only while standing amidst landscape features, but also from inside the home, the curb and beyond.

A landscape vista creates a panoramic view amidst buildings, trees and landscape features, both inward (from the grounds to the house) or outward (from the grounds to the house). The inward vista creates picturesque views of the home, while simultaneously creating outward views of the landscape and horizon. Captured views link interiors to the outdoors by framing garden focal points.

Axial designs, which create a clear and crisp linear pattern using a long pathway, a row of trees or shrubs and a strong focal point like a fountain or sculpture, have been used for hundreds of years. The garden at Versailles, for instance, is a wonderful example of formal axial vistas and captured views.

Atlanta landscape architect Mary Palmer Dargan — Photo Featured in Timeless Landscape Design

This technique for creating a formal, organized landscapes later became a tradition of southern plantations. They focus on the view of a home from the end of a long allee. The technique of using an axial line that leads to a focal point in a vista can also be used on smaller or more casual scales to create simple and balanced looks.

Western North Carolina landscape Architect Mary Palmer Dargan — Dargan Landscape Architects
Photo Featured in Timeless Landscape Design

Captured views can be carefully cultivated by placing garden features in places that will allow them to be perfectly framed by windows and doors . This feature can be enjoyed from the inside of the home.

Cashiers landscape architect Mary Palmer Dargan — Dargan Landscape Architects
Photo Featured in Timeless Landscape Design

Even homes that don’t naturally have grand landscape views can be designed to offer charming or elegant views with impeccable garden designs that inspire, delight and capture the eye.

To learn more about how landscapes can be transformed to provide gorgeous vistas, captured views and other design elements, purchase your own copy of Mary Palmer’s book “Timeless Landscape Design.”

If you’re looking for a team of experts to help you achieve a breathtaking landscape design of your own, contact Mary Palmer and Hugh Dargan of Dargan Landscape Architects by calling 404-231-3889.

Using Your Home as a Powerful Hub

March 17, 2014

The hub is not only an important part of your landscape’s master plan, but it’s also instrumental in creating a visual connection between your home and your surrounding property. As mentioned in the previous post, the hub is where activity originates on your land. This focal point is typically the home in most cases.

With the home as the hub, you’ll want to be intentional about the design of your landscape on and around it. The first way to establish the home as the hub is to invest in the design of your approach and arrival sequence, which is where guests get the first glimpse of your home. Next, you’ll want to focus on hub identity and architectural composure, vistas and captured views.

Making a home appear, well, at home in the landscape can be difficult given challenges that are often present with the topography, as well as environmental issues. However, landscaping solutions can make the most of these problems by creating balance and restoring order. Adding retaining walls to level out a sloped site, for example, is just one of the many tactics that can be used to create a more balanced look.

Here are some additional considerations for understanding the anatomy of the hub:

When it comes to hub identity, is the hub approached from the side or straight on? While straight-on is a more formal layout, it can present challenges on an uneven site.
Is the ground level across the front of the building or does it slope to the side? Sloping land requires retaining walls to make a flat area at the base of the house so that plantings don’t angle downhill.
Does high or low ground around the house cause drainage problems? Solutions for drainage problems are not always attractive, so if you have them, you may want to consult a landscape designer for a more aesthetically pleasing fix.

An example of using your home as a powerful hub can be seen in this house, designed by Norman Askins of Atlanta. It sits firmly on flat land and is enhanced by the simple curve of the drive and cherry trees. Foundation plantings are minimized to emphasize the sweep of house and lawn.

Atlanta landscape architect — Home Designed by Norman Askins of Atlanta
Photo via Timeless Landscape Design

Check out our previous post on the Dargan Landscape Architects’ four-part master plan for designing timeless landscapes to learn more about establishing a timeless landscape. You can also order a copy of Mary Palmer’s book “Timeless Landscape Design” to read more in-depth information about using your home as a powerful hub in your landscape.

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