Horticulture Science Lesson 77 Beginning the Design Process

Horticulture Science Lesson 77

Beginning the Design Process

Horticulture Science Lesson 77

Beginning the Design Process

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Interest ApproachInterest ApproachDisplay a landscape design concept for a house. Choose a design that begs the question: “What’s wrong with this picture?” This type of design might have a compost pile by the patio, a high-interest planting on the side of the house, or a play area in the front yard. Ask the students to explain what is good and bad about the design.


Student Learning ObjectivesStudent Learning Objectives•Organize landscape activities using goose egg plans.

•Develop bed patterns for a landscape.

•Locate trees in a landscape plan.


TermsTerms• bed pattern• deciduous trees• evergreen trees• goose egg plan• lines of force• sun calculator• transpiration• windbreak


How can activities be organized into goose egg plans?

• Design work can begin once information is gathered through the family inventory survey and the site analysis.

• As the process progresses, three considerations should be kept in mind.

• 1. The final landscape should be an extension of the indoor living space. – To achieve this, the lot should be considered as

one or more rooms, each with walls, a ceiling, and a floor.



• 2. The floor plan of the house and the locations of various rooms should be taken into account. – It makes sense to locate a patio near the kitchen

and family breakfast area. – Another good design characteristic is placing a

high-interest planting within view of persons seated in the living room or family room.

• 3. The landscape is viewed by neighbors and passersby. – Therefore, considering what they see is

important.



• The creative nature of design begins with organizing the spaces in the design.

• A fairly simple activity can help define where various functions will take place in the landscape. – Small sketches of the house and the lot are

quickly drawn according to the dimensions shown on the base plan.

– Each sketch might be only 4 or 5 inches in size. – Then, rough ovals or circles are drawn on the

small sketches to represent the play area, the patio, plantings, etc.

– The areas of activity will likely overlap, so the ovals or circles may overlap as well.



• 1. A plan with these odd shapes is sometimes referred to as a goose egg plan, a bubble diagram, or a functional diagram. – With the process, the

designer can get a feel for how to separate a vast area into smaller rooms or spaces.



• 2. There are several important points to remember when developing a goose egg plan.

• a. The sketches should be done quickly and roughly. – Also, each sketch should differ a little from the others. – Do not worry about placing too much detail in the sketches. – Just try to get an idea of where activities would best fit in

the landscape.

• b. Sketch the goose egg plan with function in mind. – Think about how people will move through the landscape. – Refer to the family inventory survey to make sure that all

the client’s desires are met.


How are bed patterns developed on a landscape site?

• The next step in the design process is the establishment of bed patterns.

• A bed pattern is a border that outlines where plants will be planted and forms the framework for the design.

• The border separates the lawn from the plantings within a bed. – Besides providing a neat, organized appearance to the

landscape, bed patterns reduce landscape maintenance. – Since the viewer’s eye will follow the patterns, the

patterns should be bold. – They should also be wide enough to hold shrubs, flowers,

and groundcovers. – All material in a yard, except trees, should be within

planting beds.


• Bed patterns are affected by lines of force. – Architectural structures have dominant lines

created by corners, windows, chimneys, and doors.

• 1. These lines, which have visual energy that extends into the landscape, are called lines of force. – The design of the bed patterns for the patio,

deck, or planting beds should be in harmony with the lines of force.


• 2. An example of how to do this is to start a bed pattern at the corner of the house or at the edge of a window. – In another example, the edge of the deck or

patio might line up with a jog in the wall or with the frame of a door.

• 3. Designing bed patterns with lines of force helps to unite the house with the landscape. – If the home has a solid wall, the bed pattern

should begin and end either a or b down the length of the wall.


• There are three major types of bed patterns. – They are straight lines 90 degrees to the house,

straight lines 45 degrees to the house, and curved lines.

• 1. Straight lines drawn 90 degrees to the house reflect the architecture of the home and often lend a formal appearance to the design.


• 2. Bed patterns consisting of straight lines drawn 45 degrees to the house create an asymmetrical design. – They reflect the architectural lines of the home

but are more dynamic than the 90 degree bed patterns.

• 3. Curved bed pattern lines are free flowing and give a natural look to the landscape.– They should be drawn as bold arcs. Short,

squiggly lines lack definition and create visual confusion.



• Bed patterns should be consistent throughout the yard. – Since it is unlikely anyone could view both the

outdoor living area and the public area at the same time, the bed pattern style used in each area may differ.

– However, only one bed pattern should be used for the public area, and the same pattern or another should be used for the outdoor living area.

– Using different bed patterns in the same area of the landscape creates a jumbled appearance, making it hard for the viewer’s eye to follow the design.


• Draw rough sketches of possible bed patterns, using the best goose egg plan as a guide for locating the various activity areas. – The paper used for the bed pattern can be laid

over the goose egg plan. – Sketch the house and the property lines.– Using different sheets of paper, create different

bed pattern ideas including the 90-degree, 45-degree, and curved styles.

– Work quickly, taking no more than a few moments for each.

– After a number of sketches have been drawn, select the best plan for the landscape project.

How should trees be located in a landscape plan?

• Trees are the largest element of the landscape.

• In the design process, they can be located on the plan once the bed patterns have been established.

• At this point, do not select the specific trees.

• Selection of specific trees comes later in the design process.

• Rather, choose the location of each tree and decide whether the tree is small, medium, or large.


• The location and size should be determined by family needs and site conditions.

• Carefully placed trees provide shade, serve as backdrops to the house, screen poor views, and frame good views.

• Trees give a sense of permanency to the landscape.

• They can dramatically affect the microclimate around a house and make a landscape more energy efficient.


• Trees affect the temperatures around and in a house.

• 1. Deciduous trees lose their leaves in the fall. – Most deciduous trees have broad leaves that produce

shade. – Shade produced by trees on the outside walls of a house

keeps the interior rooms cooler than if the walls were exposed to the sun’s rays.

– Also, transpiration, or the loss of water from tree tissues, cools the air.

– The temperature under a large shade tree can be 15 to 25 degrees cooler than in the sun.

– Locating trees in the landscape for cooling purposes requires the designer to know the angles at which the sun’s rays strike the house.

– The angle of the sun changes with the seasons.


• a. In the winter months, the sun’s rays hit primarily the south wall. – It is good to allow these winter rays to hit the

house to warm the interior. – Evergreen trees keep their leaves year round

and block the sun’s rays. – Evergreens are not a good choice for planting on

the south side of a house because they would block warming rays.


• b. In summer, the sun is farther to the north. – The east and west walls of a house receive the

greatest amount of radiant energy in the summer months.

– As the sun rises, the rays hit the east wall. – Between 11:00 A.M. and noon, the sun’s rays

increase. – Placing a deciduous tree to shade the east end

of the south wall or the south end of the east wall during that period improves energy efficiency.


– From noon until 1:00 P.M., the amount of radiant energy absorbed by the walls of the house is very small because the sun is overhead. As the sun descends between 1:00 and 2:00 P.M., the rays begin to hit the west wall.

– At around 4:00 P.M., the sun reaches its greatest heating capacity.

– Shade trees placed within 25 feet of the house block the rays that would hit the west wall between 3:00 and 5:00 P.M.



• 2. The sun calculator is a tool that can be used to help locate trees on a landscape plan for energy efficiency. – The calculator is slid under the tracing paper

and oriented correctly in terms of north and south.

– The center of the calculator is positioned where shade is needed, such as on a patio or a west wall.

– Following the angles of the calculator permits trees to be effectively positioned.



• Trees alter the wind speed and direction.• 1. Frigid winter winds can be reduced by

grouping evergreen trees in the path of the prevailing winter winds. – In much of the United States, the prevailing

winter winds come from the north and northwest.

– Carefully located trees block the prevailing winter winds, resulting in lower heating costs.

– In the summer, trees used as windbreaks slow hot summer winds and reduce their drying effect.

– A windbreak is a row of plants that provides shelter from the wind.

– Windbreaks are also called shelterbelts.


• 2. Wind protection can be calculated. – A row of closely planted trees deflects the force

of the wind for a distance 20 times the height of the plants.

– The calculation is made by multiplying the height of the windbreak by 20.

– For example, a 10-foot-high windbreak would provide protection for a distance of 200 feet.

Review/SummaryReview/Summary•How can activities be organized into goose egg plans?

•How are bed patterns developed on a landscape site?

•How should trees be located in a landscape plan?

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Horticulture Science Lesson 77 Beginning the Design Process