Components of landscaping

A landscape theme is basically a main idea that keeps repeating itself throughout your landscape design. The landscape theme may be something as simple as a color scheme repeated from flower bed to flower bed, or a repetition of form through plant shapes and groupings.

A landscape theme may be based completely on mood. The use of water features in your landscape may create a feeling of relaxation. The use of garden statuary, can also lend an inspirational feeling to your landscape.

Landscape themes can also be a little more substantial. Themes may be designed to match the surrounding landscape. A cabin in the mountains would probably choose evergreens and native flowers to complete the rustic theme of the landscape. A Victorian garden complete with manicured topiaries would be out of place in this environment, but might fit quite nicely at a mansion landscape near Beacon Hill.

Landscape design themes can also be built around your personal tastes and preferences. If gnomes tickle your fancy, you can easily create a landscape theme by placing gnome statues here and there around the garden. If the exotic beauty of butterflies fascinate you, you can design your landscape theme around plants and flowers that are known to attract them, and reinforce the theme with butterfly garden stakes, and statuary.

Water itself may be chosen as the main theme for your landscape and carried out through the repeated use of ponds, waterfalls, and fountains, or with mini water-landscape container gardens when landscaping space is at a premium.

Then we have the popular classic garden themes like desert gardens, Japanese gardens, English gardens, and tropical garden landscapes just to name a few. These landscape themes have very specific uses of plant materials and architectural elements that make them instantly recognizable when you enter the landscape.

Let's take the tropical landscape theme as an example. The typical tropical landscape them will heavily employ the use of palm trees to make a bold statement, using smaller colorful plants like tropical hibiscus, orchids and elephant ears for accent. Sand beds with natural seashells could also continue the tropical theme.

As you can see, there is really no limit to the number of ideas that could be translated into landscaping themes. The most important thing to remember is to keep in mind what you like, and that should guide your choices to a natural landscape theme you will enjoy for many years to come.