OUR APPROACH TO LANDSCAPE DESIGN

In the Triangle, there are great landscape designers, builders of walls and patios, installers of plants, installers of irrigation systems and outdoor lighting, however at Renz Landscapes we take pride in bring you the whole package in one company. Your project will go smoothly, and the design and look will be seamless with only one company being responsible. Enjoy the thoughts listed below, and feel free to contact our job references.

Below, we have listed principals we like to incorporate when designing and creating your landscape.

A well designed landscape is not just making things beautiful, but is also useful for people.

• A well designed landscape respects the people using the landscape, their lifestyle, and how the landscape will accommodate their activities and interests, how they will circulate through the landscape, and how the landscape will be viewed from inside the home. It’s for you!
• A well designed landscape respects its surroundings and gets hints about how to proceed.
• A well designed landscape starts with brainstorming, observing, considering the client’s needs, envisioning the big picture, prioritizing, then… the details are addressed.
• A well designed landscape works with the architecture of the house. Plant material should enhance the house by framing the view, bringing weight to the corners of the house, frame the windows, accenting the front door, and use plant colors that compliment the house colors.
• A well designed landscape has a purpose in mind with a reason for each decision.
• A well designed landscape considers how a landscape will function first, then shaped like a sculptor shapes his art form, and then painted with color, and contrasted with texture differences
• A well designed landscape brings a sense of order and structure to the landscape.
• A well designed landscape integrates the hardscaping elements of the landscape, such as patios, walls and walkways with the plants and natural areas so they work together to create contrast and unity.
• A well designed landscape respects the look and importance of the winter landscape creating structure and balance through the use of well positioned trees, evergreen plants, garden art, color and attracting wildlife.
• A well designed landscape should have a pleasing balance and proportion among evergreens plants, deciduous plants, perennials and annuals.
• A well designed landscape respects the concept that plants have roles to play, some to quietly assist, allowing other plant and elements to get the attention if a landscape is going to perform.
• A well designed landscape withstands the test of time with good craftsmanship, proper plant selection and an investment in proper maintenance.

Design is everything. It separates a great product from an average product. Whether it is a house, a car, a smart phone, a watch, or your landscape, a design incorporating the client’s needs with the designer’s expertise creates something that is functional, attractive and effortless.

An estimate is what you do when you know what you want; a design is what you do to find out what you want.

• A smart landscape starts with a written design and contract before the installation begins, to prevent misunderstandings, mistakes and surprises.
• A smart landscape considers drainage and how rainwater affects the landscape early in the design process.
• A smart landscape uses only plants that are cold hardy and can tolerate the heat and humidity in our climate.
• A smart landscape considers the sun requirements of the plants both at planting time and how sun conditions may change in the future.
• A smart landscape respects the soil properties as it relates to oxygen, drainage, ph, and the fertility of the soil, so plants stay healthy and attractive.
• A smart landscape, if deer are a problem, chooses plants that deer don’t prefer, or uses sprays and granular deterrents that are safe for the environment.
• A smart landscape considers taller deciduous shade trees to create shade for people, and understory shade loving plants; along with climate control for the home in both winter and summer.
• A smart landscape respects the consequences of certain large deciduous trees like oaks and maples. Although they can help with climate control the roots can compete with lawns and have to be removed with age.
• A smart landscape screens the undesirable views and sounds that may impact the people enjoying the landscape.
• A smart landscape fits the shape, growth rate, and ultimate width and height of the plant to the space that is available to prevent problems and unneeded maintenance in the future.
• A smart landscape considers if a plant should be left to its natural growth habit or if pruning is acceptable later before locating a plant in the space that is available and as it develops.
• A smart landscape considers how new plants and lawns will be watered either my hand, with hand sprinklers, an automatic pop up sprinkler system, or a drip irrigation system.
• A smart landscape uses outdoor lighting to enhance the look of the landscape at night and provide security and safety.

As Joe Eck said in his book ‘Elements of garden design’ “What defines a landscape is less what is grown in it, than how what is grown is arranged”.

• A creative landscape can have a theme…English, a color theme, funky or you name it.
• A creative landscape gives thought as to why each plant is placed next to another.
• A creative landscape contrasts adjacent plants by recognizing the height, shape, evergreen or deciduous, “plant type…tree, shrub, groundcover, perennial or annual”, foliage brightness, color, and textures of a plant to bring a landscape alive with visual excitement.
• A creative landscape unifies a landscape through the repetition of similar plant forms, the same plant, the same color, the same hue, and adjacent colors.
• A creative landscape unifies a landscape by arranging plants in drifts, groupings and lines to weave the landscape together.
• A creative landscape will use color to bring a landscape to life after it has been sculptured. Less is always more, so colors choices should be minimal. Greens, whites and grays are neutral. Work with tints and shades of the same hue…..hues that are adjacent (are next to each other on the color wheel), and throw in a complimentary colors (are opposite on the color wheel) for excitement.
• A well designed landscape respects the relationship between the empty space or often called negative space and the positive elements in a landscape such as the house, hardscaping or plants. In other words every empty space in the landscape doesn’t need to be filled with something. Like the quiet time between musical notes, negative space creates good vibrations in the landscape.
• A creative landscape respects the adage, “That less is more”
• A creative landscape is mindful of the shape of a lawn by the use of sweeping, curving edges and straight lines and not the shape that might be created by connecting elements outside the lawn area. A lawn is powerful visual element and an attractive shape brings order to the landscape.

Form follows function and foliage brightness, color and texture follow form.