In many ways, designing a landscape is like designing or decorating a room. You want to make sure the elements you choose for your landscape are not only attractive in and of themselves, but also go together, are easy to maintain, and echo your own, personal taste. In most cases, it is best to work with a landscaper when designing your landscaped space. However, it still helps to know a little about what you're getting into. Here are some key principles to keep in mind when working to design your landscape.

Aim for Balance

When used in a design sense, the term "balance" refers to having equal weight or amount of items on either side of a dividing line. For instance, you would not want to create a garden bed that is full of plants on one side, but has only two or three plants on the other side. It would be out of balance. When creating a landscape design, balance should be one of your top priorities. Make sure plants are balanced not only from side to side, but also from back to front.

Pay Attention to Sunlight

Consider where tall trees and buildings are located. Where do they cast their shadows? In these shadowy areas, make sure you use plants that can tolerate some shade. In sunnier areas that receive little to no sunshine, make sure you use plants that prefer full sunlight. This approach will help ensure your plants stay healthy with less care on your part, resulting in a better-looking landscape.

Vary Your Textures

Make sure you include plants and decorative items with a variety of textures. For instance, you don't want to use all smooth-leaved plants and also smooth concrete. A balance of more textured plants and ones with smoother foliage will look better as the light will reflect off the elements in different ways.

Don't Go Overboard With Variety

Some variety is essential. But there is a delicate balance here. You don't want to include so many different kinds of plants that your space starts to look over-complicated and haphazard. Try to choose a unifying element between several of your plants. For example, use three types of dark-colored plants and two types of light-leaf plants. This will give you some parameters to work within and keep you from selecting too many different plants.

Keep these principles in mind, and you'll have an easier time designing a landscape that looks polished and lovely.

Contact a landscaping company to learn more.