The Planting Design Handbook

434 Pages·2016·142.43 MB·English

by  Nick Robinson

THE PLANTING DESIGN HANDBOOK
Ever since its first edition, I have regarded The Planting Design Handbook as the standard
work on the method and process of planting design. But it is far more than that and stands
as an excellent and clear introduction to the principles of spatial design in its own right.
As a long-standing text, the book stands outside of the vagaries of any prevailing fashion
or trend. While holding on to its key strengths, this latest edition has been thoroughly
overhauled and updated to include current ecological and environmental approaches to
designing with plants that pervade the whole book, and it is illustrated throughout with
classic and contemporary examples. This book is an essential requirement for practitioners
and students of landscape architecture and garden design: a highly intelligent, rigorous and
practical guide to the art, science and ethics of planting design.
Professor Nigel Dunnett, Department of Landscape,
University of Sheffield, UK
It has always been difficult to find academic texts on planting which do more than explore
the horticultural qualities, or just identify the aesthetic qualities of plants; this book does that,
looking beyond the aesthetics of planting as a medium. The first two editions introduced the
now well-established section on Design Methodology, ensuring planting design is rightly
part of the wider spatial design process. With the addition of new sections on herbaceous,
wildflower and naturalistic perennial planting, this third edition of Nick Robinson’s
The Planting Design Handbook is now the most comprehensive and engaging volume on
the use of planting as a design medium.
David Booth, Faculty Head of Quality and Standards,
University of Gloucestershire, UK
To my parents, Arthur and Margaret Robinson
The Planting Design Handbook
Third Edition
NICK ROBINSON
Landscape architect, lecturer and plantsman
Illustrations by JIA-HUA WU
First published 2004
Third edition published 2016
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2016 Nick Robinson
The right of Nick Robinson to be identified as author of this work has
been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN: 9781472415493 (hbk)
ISBN: 9781315554648 (ebk)
Typeset in Palatino
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Contents
List of Figures xiii
List of Plates xix
List of Tables xxxvii
Preface to the Third Edition xxxix
Introduction 1
PART I PRINCIPLES 5
1 Why Design? 7
Planting Design – an Expression of Function 8
Planting Design as Intervention in Ecological Processes 10
Planting Design for Aesthetic Pleasure 14
So What is Successful Planting Design? 15
Habitat Loss and Climate Change 16
2 Plants as a Medium for Design 19
Plants as Living Materials 19
Environmental Influences 20
Cycles of Plant Growth and Development 22
Creative Management 24
The Landscape Designer’s View of Plants 26
Plants as Spatial Elements 26
Plants as Ornament 35
Plant Selection 36
Functional and Aesthetic Considerations in Design 37
Naturalness and Artificiality in Design 39
vi The Planting Design Handbook
3 Spatial Characteristics of Plants 41
Spatial Functions of Plants in the Human Landscape 41
Ground-level Planting (Carpeting Plants) 42
Shrubs and Herbaceous Plants Below Knee Height (Low Planting) 44
Knee- to Eye-level Planting (Medium-height Planting) 44
Planting Above Eye Level (Tall Shrub Planting) 46
Tree Planting 51
4 Creating Spaces with Plants 57
The Experience of Space 57
The Use of Spaces 59
The Elements of Spatial Composition 59
Enclosure 60
Degree of Enclosure 60
Permeability and Transparency of Enclosure 63
Dynamics 66
Shape 66
Vertical Proportion 70
Slope 72
Focus 73
Symmetric Focus 73
Asymmetric Focus 75
Focus on the Boundary 75
External Focus 76
5 Composite Landscape 79
Spatial Organizations 81
Linear Organizations 81
Clustered Organizations 82
Contained Organizations 87
Hierarchy of Spaces 91
Hierarchy According to Function 91
Transitions 94
Transitions Between Abutting Spaces 96
Transitions Between Interlocking Spaces 98
Transitional Spaces 98
Entrance Zones 99
Contents vii
6 Visual Properties of Plants 101
Subjective and Objective Responses to Plants 101
Visual Characteristics 103
Form 103
Form and Habit 104
Prostrate, Mat and Carpeting Forms 105
Hummock, Mounded and Dome Forms 106
Arching Form 108
Tussock, Tufted or Caespitose Form 109
Erect or Upright Form and Veil Planting 110
Palm Form 111
Succulents and Sculptural Form 112
Oval Upright Form 113
Conical, Columnar and Fastigiate Forms 114
Tabulate and Level-spreading Form 115
Open Irregular Form 116
Trained Form 116
Line and Pattern 118
Ascending Line 119
Pendulous Line 119
Horizontal Line 121
Diagonal Line 121
Quality of Line 122
Texture 123
Fine Texture 123
Coarse Texture 125
Medium Texture 126
Colour 126
Hue 127
Value 127
Saturation 128
Colour Perception 128
Colour Effects 129
Seasonal Colour 130
Visual Energy 131
Combining Plants 132
viii The Planting Design Handbook
7 Visual Composition 133
Five Principles of Visual Composition 133
Harmony and Contrast, Diversity and Unity 134
Balance 137
Emphasis and Accent 137
Sequence and Rhythm 140
Scale and Complexity 141
The Influence of Movement and Viewing Angles
on Composition 144
Unity and Diversity in Planting Design 146
Ideas and Themes 146
Inspiration 156
8 Plant Assemblages 159
Plant Communities 159
Forest Structures 159
Two Principles – Ground Cover and Diversity 163
Typical Canopy Structures as Models for Design 164
Deciduous Cool Temperate Communities (North-west Europe and
North America) 166
Three-layer Canopy Structures 166
Two-layer Canopy Structures 170
Single-layer Canopy Structures 172
Layers Within Layers 175
Layering of Herbaceous Plant Communities 176
Evergreen Temperate/Subtropical Communities (New Zealand) 177
Four-layer Canopy Structures 178
Three-layer Structures 178
Two-layer Structures 180
Design Interpretation of Natural Ecologies 181
Matrix Planting 185
9 Ecological and Horticultural Factors 187
Plant Materials and Design Process 187
Growth Requirements and Tolerances 190
Competition and Coexistence 191
Plant Strategies 193
Rejuvenation and Spread 195
Increase by Seed 195
Vegetative Increase 196
Contents ix
Growth Habit 197
Life Cycles and Succession 198
Plant Knowledge 199
PART II PROCESS 201
10 Design Methodology 203
Inception – Establishing the Design Brief and Working Relationships 205
Initial Contact With the Client 205
Brief 205
Understanding – Gathering and Organizing Information 206
Survey 206
Assessment 210
Synthesis – Generating and Organizing Ideas 215
Planting Strategy 215
Design Concept 216
Schematic or Outline Planting Design 219
Masterplan 221
Sketch Planting Proposals 221
Detailed Planting Design 228
Habit and Life Form 228
Growing Conditions 229
Planting Functions, such as 229
Character and Aesthetic Qualities 229
Working Drawings 232
Specifications 243
Realization – Refining and Implementing the Proposals 244
Planting 244
Establishment and Editing 245
Management 245
Learning Through the Design Process 247
PART III PRACTICE 249
11 Large-scale Planting 251
Introduction 251
Large and Small-scale Planting 251
Forest and Woodland 252
Designing Forest and Woodland 255
What Functions will the Forest or Woodland Perform? 255
What Canopy Structure is Ultimately Required? 255
What are the Soil and Climatic Conditions? 255