[Stonehenge]

When creating a design where you need to make small spaces seem big or big spaces seem small, what kinds of plants and textures do you use?

Do you employ any of the techniques Frank Lloyd Wright employed in his structures?

I spent a day at Taliesin a few years ago and was fascinated by his use of space and the resulting feel you got for a room. The idea of taking those concepts outdoors is intriguing to me.

[agla]

I am not a student of architecture, but I have found a few planting effects here and there that change the feel of scale in places.

One is to layer smaller areas with different plants, textures, and rocks in order to psychologically make the space seem deeper by tricking the mind into perceiving depth because so much is happening.

By contrast, you can change scale of a big area by using masses of the same color and texture. I tend to plant in groupings when dealing with large houses. This takes a little discipline because designers tend to want to use a wide plant pallette. If too many things are used the big picture gets very spotty.

Another trap designers fall into in a very big way when dealing with larger structures is to think of the plantings as they look up close rather than the big picture. This is particularly true of designers that started as gardeners rather than landscapers, in my opinion. It is easy to fall in love with certain flowers and combinations when dealing with them up close while disregarding the effects or lack of effects the plantings have on the height of the house, overall unity of the complete view, or another impact that is seen from a further distance. ...My opinion.

[Stonehenge]

I think your dead-on for some of the pitfalls one can fall into when designing for plantings in the ladnscape. I have to reign myself in when designing beds, so they have a cohesive look, instead of spec'ing a larger variety of plants that, as you say, look a bit spotty or confused when viewed from a distance.

For your larger scapes, do you also use plants with broad foliage, to help visually bring things in closer? If so, what have you used?


Thx,

Jeff