Firstly, it is important to know that landscaping is a professional activity aimed at improving the physical, material, and spiritual characteristics of rural or urban spaces, in order to express aesthetic and cultural values. This field of work includes planting trees, shaping natural elements, and creating abstract structures from a variety of materials. On the other hand, landscape architects are specialists in planning and designing gardens, both rural and urban, based on natural characteristics as well as cultural and historical values of a place. To achieve this, they rely on a set of aesthetic, functional, and scientific principles, as well as the use of a wide range of technologies and both natural and synthetic materials.
Therefore, among the main functions of landscaping, which we will detail further, we find the organization and execution of projects dedicated to garden and green space design. A landscape architect can specialize in different areas. Generally, garden design can work on various projects.
Necessary Steps for Garden Design
Before creating a garden, it is important to have a good design that takes into account all the factors specific to this space, the type of garden to be created, the intended use, and what the client wants.
Secondly, once we see the conditions we have, we will evaluate what type of garden is needed. When starting with garden design, we will not treat a small garden for a single-family home the same as an urban garden. Each space depends on its size and use.
According to the people who will use this space, the design will be planned in one way or another (open spaces, wooded areas, playgrounds…). Finally, it is crucial to know what the client wants from the garden. They might want a specific plant or type of grass, or perhaps a drought-resistant garden to conserve water, or a garden with plants that provide color year-round. All these considerations will influence the garden design. They will determine what space will be created and what materials and plants will be most suitable for placement. Once you have an idea of how you want the garden (always based on what has been communicated: the state of the space, the type of garden, the use, and the client’s desires), it will be a matter of taking precise measurements of the available space and making an initial sketch.