Dargan Landscape Architects

Create Nourishing Flourishing Home Utopias

Landscape Design Tips

How Much Water Does Your Garden Need?

Did you know that every plant in your garden is 90 to 98 percent water? As Janet Macunovich of Fine Gardening explains, “All the nutrients plants need to grow, color, flower, multiply, and defend their tissues against pests are produced by the solar-powered chemical reactions that take place in the watery soup within the cells.”

how to determine how much water your plants need
Source: J. Peterson Garden Design via Houzz

But providing plants with just the right amount of water is actually tricker than simply making sure they get an inch of water a week. As Dennis Patton of Kansas State University reminds us, “Learning when and how much to water is one of the most difficult gardening practices.”

The first step to effective and efficient watering is to conduct a capacity test to learn exactly how much water your soil holds. A simple water-holding capacity test will reveal the best times to water without having to wait until plants wilt.

To conduct the test, use a watering hose to soak a spot (around 12 inches in diameter) for about two minutes. Next, stick a trowel into this spot so it is about 3 or 4 inches underground and pull towards you to create a small hole where you can feel the soil with your hand. Do this every day until the soil is no longer cool and damp to determine how many days you can go without water in a rainless period. With this new information, you can now establish a watering schedule.

Once you have your watering regime in place, it’s time to make sure you are applying water as efficiently as you can to achieve a water-smart landscape. As Kathy LaLiberte of Gardeners.com reminds us, watering will not help the plants unless it reaches the root ball. Whether you are using sprinklers, drip hoses, a water-sensed labeled irrigation system or something else, make sure no water is being wasted on driveways or walkways and that it’s being applied slowly so it is able to soak deeply and thoroughly into soil.

Sign up to receive Mary Palmer Dargan’s free worksheets and videos for more valuable tips and ideas on a variety of landscaping topics. Or, contact Dargan Landscape Architects to discuss a master plan or tune-up for your property. Our goal is to help you create an oasis you’ll enjoy for years to come through sustainable landscape design that will Heal the Earth, One Garden at a Time!

Secret Gardens: Creating Your Private Oasis

Have you ever wanted to escape to a place where nothing and no one can disturb you? A secret garden may be just what you need. Not only will it give you the opportunity to retreat to a private space outside of your home, but it will allow you to surround yourself in the beauty and tranquility of nature.

Total immersion in a hidden garden can help you forget your worries and reconnect with nature to rejuvenate your mind, body and soul. Call it the ultimate therapy session.

No matter what your style and how you plan to use your secret garden – whether for reading, meditating or private contemplating – it will need to be designed in a way that makes it partially hidden from the rest of your property. This can be done by creating a garden within a garden using tall shrubs and trees.

secret garden design ideas
Source: Philip Nimmo Design via Houzz

When selecting the spot for your hidden garden, choose somewhere somewhat tucked away and quiet. A neglected side yard, for example, can provide the perfect enclosed area for serene secret garden. However, for some homeowners, the entire landscape can become their own private retreat where only a select few are invited to visit.

Atlanta landscape architects
Source: Dear Garden Associates, Inc. via Houzz

We love Karen Chapman‘s idea of adding to the experience of entering the secret garden by building a little suspense and mystery with a winding path that twists and turns until it suddenly opens up to a small clearing. Envision a meandering stone path, for instance, that leads to a charming gate or arbor entryway where you are then greeted by gorgeous colors and textures and a charming flagstone patio with a lush live carpet.

Atlanta landscape design
Source: Bloom Landscape Design and Fine Gardening Service via Houzz

Amidst vibrant plantings and cascading containers, your secret garden can feature an elegant fountain, a stately statue or other piece of art as the focal point and centerpiece. A bench, a pair of lounge chairs or a bistro set with a small table and chairs can be used for creating a sitting area within your secret garden.

Cashiers Landscape Architects
Source: Exteriorscapes llc via Houzz

Are you enchanted by the idea of having your own secret garden? Dargan Landscape Architects in Atlanta can help you achieve the secret garden you thought only existed in movies and dreams. Contact us at 404.231.3889 to set up your design consultation. We can work with you virtually or in person and look forward to helping you create a space where you can Let Nature Speak!

For more information on creating a timeless landscape design or a secret garden, check out Mary Palmer’s book, Timeless Landscape Design.

How Healthy is Your Soil?

We’ve all heard the phrase “you are what you eat.” We need well-balanced, nutritious meals to feel and function best, and similarly, plants need healthy food to flourish, too. Healthy soil is essential for helping plants grow and thrive.

But how do you know if your garden’s soil is healthy? Checking the health of your soil can start with simple observation. The color of soil can say a lot about its condition. The more organic compound there is, the darker and healthier the soil will be. Soil texture should not be too thin and porous nor should it be sticky and dense. In other words, you don’t want sand, but you don’t want modeling clay either.

Earthworms and soil insects, as well as how difficult it is to dig in soil, are a few easily observable signs that soil may be too compact resulting in roots that grow horizontally instead of downwards. Specific symptoms of unhealthy plants can also point to soil deficiencies.

Checking the exact nutrient levels and acidity of soil will require a basic, inexpensive soil test kit. Another option is to send a sample to a soil laboratory, like the one at Colorado State University. The results, even if rudimentary, will reveal what amendments should be made to the soil.

Another factor that is essential to soil health is drainage. Even if there isn’t visible standing water, if soil is saturated, root systems will likely remain weak. Digging a one-foot hole,  filling it with water and measuring the depth at different time intervals is one strategy for testing soil drainage.

As Jared R. McKinley puts it, “Feeding the plants is only part of the production. For true sustainability and maximum flavor and nutrition, the gardener’s aim should be building a healthy soil ecosystem in which plants play a symbiotic role.”

Healthy soil is a must in order for gardens to thrive and be beautiful! Project by Dargan Landscape Architects
Healthy soil is a must in order for gardens to thrive and be beautiful!
Mountain Residence by Dargan Landscape Architects

Soil should not only be tested for the benefit of landscapes but for your own health, as well. Exposure to soil chemicals and contaminants can happen through direct contact with the skin, inhalation, ground water consumption and direct digestion.

For additional help achieving thriving plants and gorgeous landscapes, sign up to receive free worksheets, training videos and other valuable resources by registering with our Landscape Your Life website. Let us help you Heal the Earth, One Garden at a Time!

Essential Design Principles of Timeless Landscape Design – Part 2

As we previously shared, there are several design principles that must be taken into consideration in order to develop a timeless landscape. In the first part of this series, we covered axial relationships;  focalization; symmetry and asymmetry; and repetition and rhythm. Today, we’ll continue our discussion on the principles of landscape design by taking a look at light and shadow; proportion and scale; and reflection.

Light and shadow, like color, often establish certain feelings or emotions within a landscape. Oftentimes, these can occur naturally, such as light filtering through the leaves and onto a garden floor in a pattern that is ever changing. Playing with light and shadow is a great way to create a serene and peaceful area one can retreat to at the end of a day.

light and shadow

In residential landscape design, proportion is used to develop “harmonious spatial relationships between the parts of a design and the whole.” More simply put, proportion is what helps create cohesiveness within the landscape. Scale refers to the size of certain elements in the landscape in relation to where it’s been placed. Sometimes we notice that elements of a landscape have been under-scaled – meaning objects are too small for their surroundings – or that they are out of scale, or too big for the area. Choosing appropriately-scaled elements for a landscape is essential in creating a balanced space.

proportion and scale

Reflective qualities add so much to a landscape’s character and can also be used to set the area’s mood, bringing depth, mystery and drama to the space. The reflection of light in a landscape, especially when it’s reflected across water, instantly attracts the eye and adds life not only to the landscape, but the entire property as well.

reflection

The design principles of axial relationships; focalization; symmetry and asymmetry; repetition and rhythm; light and shadow; proportion and scale; and reflection are all necessary to create a timeless landscape design to enjoy for years to come. Contact Dargan Landscape Architects today to learn how we can help you develop a master plan or a tune-up for your property. We work with clients in all locations and can meet with you in person or virtually to discuss your needs and start planning your landscape’s new look.

For more information on creating a timeless landscape and to see further examples of these design principles at work, take a look at Mary Palmer’s book, Timeless Landscape Design.

Four Visual Tools of Landscape Design

Flowers, plants and trees all play a very important role in the way a landscape looks. However, the most important, if not most powerful, elements are those that give the landscape depth, dimension and energy. The four basic tools of visual art for landscape design include lines, color, form and texture.

Lines are important because they help shape the landscape, as well as establish its purpose. Lines can be represented as rows of plants, such as hedges or an allée of trees, in addition to the line of a curving or straight pathway.

line

Color is perhaps the most exciting element to work with because it can be as extravagant or simple as you wish for it to be. Varying shades of green create the backdrop upon which floral selections ranging from vivid brights to deep, rich hues can be splashed about to energize the overall look. Or, a monochromatic color scheme can be used for a more calm and relaxed feeling.

color

Every part of a landscape has form, whether its form is horizontal, vertical, linear, curving, or symmetrical, to name a few. Certain elements of your landscape will be selected specifically for the distinctive form they bring to the space. For instance, Italian cypresses are often chosen for landscapes that are inspired by gardens found in Italy. Other elements that add to a landscape’s form include the delicately manicured lawn, stone features like urns and even topiaries trimmed to look like a whimsical creature.

form

And finally, there’s texture. Texture in a landscape is best explained as representing the relationship between the size of a plant’s leaves, the size of the space they will occupy, and other textures nearby. Plant textures are categorized as large, often seen in magnolias and hydrangeas; medium, found in plants like camellia and ivy; and fine, represented in grasses like zoysia and plants with daintier leaves.

texture

Other elements of the landscape, such as stone and brick, are considered important textural elements as well. Often times, plants and building materials like these are selected to have similar textures to help define the landscape at hand and further enhance the spirit of the space.

These four art elements of landscape design, lines, color, form and texture, are the basic visual tools needed to create a garden or landscape that will withstand the test of time. If you’re interested in learning more about these elements and how they can improve your landscape, contact Dargan Landscape Architects! We would love to assist you, either virtually or in person, in creating a turn-up or master plan for your property.