Landscaping Ideas: Using Form, Function, and Theme in Your Landscape

Everyone’s looking for landscaping ideas. Today, we have internet sites, television shows, and countless garden magazines devoted to landscaping. We even have entire cable television channels devoted to the home and garden. Being so overwhelmed with choices, many of us never actually get around to improving our outdoor space. Some of us lack confidence in our design ability or we’re afraid the project will become too difficult or expensive.

Some might fear the new design will look worse than the old one. I think the real reason we never get started is because we aren’t truly inspired.

So how do we get inspired and motivated enough to start digging ? Simply put, we need to get personal. Our landscaping plan should include highly personal, meaningful elements. Forget about what the neighbors are doing. What would make this new project worth the time and effort? To get your creative juices flowing, try brainstorming on three subject areas. Try thinking in terms of form, function and theme.

Form

Grab a minimum of three gardening or landscaping magazines. They are full of landscaping ideas. Flip through them and tear out or bookmark every picture that appeals to you. When you have at least 6 photos, begin analyzing them. Look for anything that repeats. The common elements will be right in front of you. You might discover a fondness for roses, or evergreens or ornamental grasses. You might find that you’re excited by vibrant color, shade gardens or English cottage style. In any case, this method will help you connect the dots and uncover your own, unique garden style.

Function

This method will be easy. Begin by asking yourself what it would take to get you outside every available evening or weekend. For myself, I need privacy, a comfortable chair, winding paths of low maintenance plants, the sound of falling water, and a fire. You might want a hot tub, an herb garden, a hammock, or a screened porch area with a television. Would you like to entertain outside or read a book in privacy? Perhaps you’d like a combination of the two. Let your imagination go wild. Be honest, what would it take?

Theme

Gardening and landscaping themes can provide the perfect inspiration. All the landscaping ideas in the world are useless if they’re not personally meaningful. One of my favorite themes is the Ancestor’s garden. Think about your parents, siblings, grandparents, or great grandparents. Do they have a favorite tree, flower or bush? If they’re no longer with us, what plant causes you to think about them? I planted a peach tree to remember my grandfather. While I was growing up, we lived in different states. He used to send peaches from the tree in his backyard. Every time I eat a fresh, delicious, summer peach, I can see my grandfather, sitting on the back porch with his pipe and newspaper. When my uncle passed, my co-workers bought a Hawthorne tree to plant in his memory. When I see the tree, I think about him and our conversations through the years. My grandmother loved poppies, so I added them to the side of the house. This theme keeps us mindful of our history, our families and our connection to each other and the natural world. It’s an excellent theme to develop and share with young children; this activity will likely stay with them forever.

If you’re still not inspired, allow yourself more time to work with these methods. Be patient. It helps to think like a kid. For a moment, forget about budgets, time and hard work. Imagine yourself walking around your new yard barefoot, or dressed for a dinner party. What would make you want to spend every available minute outside?