Garden design principles - Part II

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Though in the end the beauty of a garden lays in eye of the beholder, there are some principles of design that will serve and assist you in creating the garden of your dreams.
Always look at a garden through five principles: FUNCTIONALITY, PROPORTION, COMPOSITION, HARMONY AND CONTRAST.
 
3. COMPOSITION
Combine natural elements with the built ones into a unitary composition of spaces, shapes and volumes subordinating some elements to others into a logical manner. Unity is given by a composition center, the focal point of the garden, all other elements being set and build in a gradual subordination to it. The focal point may be a sculpture, a water feature or a vegetation arrangement (flowers, shrubs, trees etc) or even the lawn. There are other issues regarding composition unity: A. You must ensure a style continuity of elements in your design in order to achieve an harmonious composition.     A classical statue in a rustic garden or elements of alpine garden in a geometrically shaped design will certainly ruin the outcome. B. The presence of an unifying element is mandatory - such as a repetitive shape, color, plant species - as the key to obtain unity in diversity.
 
4. HARMONY
Harmony represents the relation of affinity among various elements of the composition.
It flows from associating alike shapes, surfaces, volumes, colors. But the quality of harmony is lost when likeness is too close to identical. 
Harmony applies to all elements of the design: water, earth, vegetation, structures etc.
 
5. CONTRAST
Contrast is always associated with harmony, putting together elements with opposed characteristics (red leaf plants in contrast with the green of the lawn or shrubs and flowers with contrasting colors).
However, contrast can become conflict when differences are too strong or unaesthetic, generating displeasure or tension.