Landscape and Garden Design Tip #4 - Avoid Straight Lines Whenever Possible

This one may sound odd - but it’s an important concept to understand. It can make all the difference in the world. You can apply this rule to walkways, fences, beds, plant placement, lighting, decking, driveways and ornamentation. Take a walk through your neighborhood today. Try an unfamiliar neighborhood. Look at the lawns, trees, flowers and fences. Notice what appeals to you.

Notice what doesn’t. If you’re like me you’ll start to notice some interesting things. I tend to notice the homes with straight lines of single flowers flanking the concrete walk that leads straight across the lawn to the front door.

It looks like a lollipop runway. Drop a tree in the middle and a boxwood in each corner and you're done. Understand where I’m going with this?

You’ve witnessed incredible natural landscapes through the windshield of your car. You've seen pink and white dogwoods blooming on the edge of a forest. Notice the way rocks and ferns are scattered along the banks of a turning river. You've also seen cattails and sea grass bending in the breeze and the ocean crashing and rolling onto the beach. Each wave is perfect and original. Nature rarely occurs in straight lines, your landscape shouldn’t either. You’ll be working around plenty of manmade structures with rigid straight lines. Your landscape design should smooth and soften the environment. Adding organic shapes and textures will harmonize your space.