Understanding garden features Flashcards
Define hazard
Source of potential danger or adverse health
E.g. Pond, overhanging cables, steps, decking, underground services.
Define risk
The chance that someone may be harmed by hazards. Usually high medium or low.
Potential restrictions to work sites
Financial Access for equipment and materials Topography - slopes Boundary - privacy etc Timelines - school holidays, family occasions Planning regs
What does a basic garden survey consist of?
Identifying : hazards and risks Potential restrictions Existing features to be retained Overhead and underground services Carry out a basic linear survey
Describe how to carry out a linear survey.
Identify a baseline (usually House)
Make running measurements along the line showing positions of windows and doors.
Can use offset measurements for any simple perpendicular features close by.
For many sided or irregular plots use triangulation.
Measure 2 distances from 2 different places (corners of house). This will give you the radius of an arc. When arcs are drawn your feature will be where the arcs intersect.
What needs to be incorporated/measured and drawn in a basic survey?
Outline of house and its main features
Outline of plot and position of house within it
Outline of hard and soft features
Contours of plot
What is recorded in a site appraisal
Soil type - depth, texture, structure, drainage, pH
Aspect and exposure
Microclimate - frost pockets, shade, sun traps, wind tunnels
Views - eyesores, style of house
Basic principles of garden design
Unity/cohesion Balance Form Scale/proportion Movement/direction, Rhythm Repetition Simplicity
Methods to achieve harmony
Taking into consideration the style of the house and use hard landscaping materials that match.
Use the same hedging/fencing all around the house
Use focal points to draw the eye and lead you to new areas
Use repeating geometric shapes
Use repeat planting, or repeat colours
Points to bear in mind in relation to proportion
Ultimate size of trees and shrubs
Lots of small features can appear fussy and busy
Paths wide enough for two or for wheelbarrow
Create illusions - narrowing paths, mirrors etc
What is meant by the term symmetry and asymmetry?
Symmetrical gardens are formal with one or two lines of symmetry running through them making each half or quarter a mirror image of itself.
Asymmetry can be formal or informal. Shaped planes are not symmetrical but are juxtaposed and overlapped to create interesting sub shapes. Use of curves and flowing lines and free forms.
How can colour be used in design?
Colour can be used to provide unity / theme, adjust mood and play visual tricks
Reflected in hard and soft landscaping
Use not just flowers but foliage colour
especially evergreens for all year round interest.
How are focal points used in design?
E.g. Sculpture Draw the eye Add interest and encourage exploration Distract Give false perspective Provide a theme
Describe formal garden features and give examples
Symmetrical Knot garden Landscape garden - lawns woods and pieces of architecture Walls of hedges, fountains, statues Topiary Water features
Describe informal garden characteristics and give examples
Curved flowing lines Asymmetrical layout Winding paths Informal or no hedging Profusion of plant Wildflower meadows Wildlife ponds
Characteristics of knot gardens
Formal garden planted with intricate, intertwined hedges trimmed to a design
Such as Celtic knots interplanted with colour/seasonal bedding
Symmetrical.
Statuary
Topiary
Characteristics of a landscaped garden
Borrowed views serpentine lakes Palladian bridges Ha has Temples Follies Grottos Hermitages Chinese bridges and pagodas
Characteristics of a cottage garden
Annuals Easy perennials Vegetables Gravel paths Picket fence Brick edging
Give examples of horizontal hard landscaping materials
For paths steps patios and decking Concrete - in situ and slabs to look like paving. Can be used for geometric design also can get it imprinted with patterns (cheap, not sustainable, can crack) Paving - flags, blocks, brick Wood - sleepers, log sections, bark, decking planks Gravel Man made decking
Give examples of vertical hard landscaping materials
Walls, fences, screens, pergolas, furniture, statuary, Wood - soft and hard fences Brick Plastic Concrete Metal Glass fibre
Types of rock garden
Scree gardens Dry stone walls Raised beds Tupha Troughs/sinks
Reconstituted stone troughs
Hypertupha
Limestone
Sandstone
Types of water features and what they can be made of
Ponds
Canals
Fountains
Puddled clay Butyl liner Drilled stones Metal Glass
Hard wearing utility lawn - grass types
Must include lolium perenne and others from:
- Festuca rubra rubra
- Poa pratensis
- Agrostis capillaris
High quality luxury lawn - grass types
Must include Agrostis capillaris AND Festuca rubra subsp. commutata,
