“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.” Lauren DeStefano.

“Autumn is the hardest season. The leaves are all falling, and they’re falling like they’re falling in love with the ground.” Andrea Gibson.

What a week to remember as Irma created havoc throughout her path of destruction. However, “Irmageddon” wasn’t as bad to our area as predicted. With the weather encouraging us to get prepared and football season providing some fantastic games, let’s take time to review how effective landscapes happen.

The season of autumn will soon be here (September 22) and bringing with it some comfortable lower temperatures. As a result, many of us will spend more time in our lawns and landscapes before the days get much shorter. Our focus should be on the development of an effective landscape offering curb appeal, sustainability, low maintenance, and a display of native plants.

As your landscape plans unfold, there is some basic information that should be considered to assist you in making the right decisions. Before you start any projects, a good understanding of what is involved from start to finish is most critical.

Develop an understanding of the landscape design principles and concepts, proper plant installation, hardscapes and softscapes, and the required maintenance details which will be necessary to take any project to fruition. Get a grip on the reasons for the landscaping that you are about to undertake and define whether these actions will have the bests interests of all involved, including your environmental buddies (wildlife) and the site itself. Also, an understanding of plant characteristics (maximum average size and shape at maturity, texture, form, etc.) and needs (water, light, fertilizer, positioning, etc.) is most critical.

Develop an understanding of the outdoor room concept which includes the wall (tree trunks and large shrubs), ceiling (tree canopies), and floor (grasses, flowers, groundcovers and circulation paths). Also, realize that the public area is that area seen from the street and is usually the first area to be landscaped and evaluated because of curb appeal. The private area is the screened or fenced area at the side and rear of the home which usually cannot be seen from the street, and can be landscaped at will according to your own judgments (do not have to be concerned with curb appeal, just be pleasing to the family). The third area is the service area (trash cans, grill, storage, vegetable garden, etc.) which functions as the name indicates. Keep this area functional but as neutral as possible to minimize directing attention to it. This area can be found in the public area and throughout the private area.

The landscape design principles of simplicity, balance, flow (rhythm and line), proportion, focalization, and unity are applied to minimize smorgasbord results and over-crowding the site. Simplicity prevents complication and confusion and gives the viewer a comfort zone to enjoy a properly landscaped home. However, do not over-simplify by using only one species of plants in repetition (like a row of boxwoods around the entire front foundation). Good simplicity usually involves using no more than 5 to 7 species of plants throughout the public area.

The balance that you want to achieve can be either symmetrical (formal) or asymmetrical (informal). With symmetrical balance, you get a mirror image to the right and to the left of a benchmark (such as a perpendicular sidewalk leading to the porch area and front door where left mirrors the right). And with asymmetrical balance, you achieve a visual weight balance but not a mirrored image. For example, this balance can be achieved by placing 3 dogwoods to the left of a benchmark (driveway) and 5 crape myrtles to the right providing a balanced canopy appearance.

With flow (rhythm and line), allow each component of the landscape to lead into the next. Thus, using filler plants to take your attention from one focal point to the next is ideal. This can be achieved through mature plant sizes, texture, color, etc. However, only establish one focal point per view such as the front door or a specimen plant.

With proportion, it is a plant-structure relationship. Be certain to choose plants that will not appear dwarfed against a two-story home (thus leaving a bare wall appearance) or overwhelm a one level home (planting a large tree too close which appears to hide the structure and offer potential storm damage). Unity is the principle of design providing completion and everything appears as a whole and unified. Unity can be compared to a completed puzzle where you can still see where the pieces fit together but the entire picture has appeal.

The landscape design concepts of texture, size, color, drought tolerance, growth rate, soil conditions, light, shade, flowering, nutritional needs, etc. need to be considered before making specific plant selections. And, water efficient landscaping (xeriscaping) plays important role in today’s landscapes, as well as the choice to use a separate water meter for landscaping applications. Be certain that your landscape has good site drainage before initiating any projects.

Identify your bed areas, such as foundation, lawn, street, natural, etc. and determine their curb appeal, ease of maintenance and the type of mulch that will be the best fit. For example, if you have a bed of pine trees, then your best mulch choice would be pine straw because other mulches would be a headache trying to maintain (keeping the falling needles removed).

Consideration of appropriate plants (trees, shrubs, groundcovers, flowers, turf, etc.) in the plant selection process is critical. For example, look at your area and determine the specific factors that you are trying to satisfy, such as height and width, flowering, deciduous or evergreen, filler, specimen, seasonal color, shade or sunlight, etc. Compile a list with these descriptions and identify several plants that would fit the bill. This process will determine a category of plants from which a specific choice can be made (professional approach) rather than buying a dogwood and then asking where it can be planted on site (the amateur or novice approach).

Be careful with and beware of impulse buying because you may buy plants you don’t need or shouldn’t use which leads to smorgasbord effects.  An example here is driving by the nursery this fall, seeing mums in bloom, and reactively responding with a purchase without any plans for design or placement. Rather, develop a shopping list from your design considerations or the recommendations of a landscape designer for all your landscape needs.  Going to a nursery without a shopping list is much like going to the grocery store without a grocery list when you are hungry. You can better understand the end results now. Welcome autumn this week!

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age…” Titus 2:11-12.