MODULE 2 : Lesson 7f
Design Principle:
Simplicity
A major key to designing your garden successfully.
Module 2: Lesson 7f
Module 2: Lesson 09
Simplicity
This is the one of the most important principles to designing a
great garden. I’ve left it until last because it’s important to
experience using the other principles without getting
overwhelmed with everything you need to think about when you
first start. Once you have a good understanding of the other
design principles, it will be easier to incorporate simplicity into
your designs.
Simplicity in your design will make your scheme coherent and
well designed. Without simplicity in your designing, you garden
will be cluttered and unpleasing to look at.
You may have experienced in the worksheet exercises how easy
it is to draw shapes that look too fussy and overworked. So
imagine if it’s that easy to get cluttered on the exercises, it’s
even easier for your garden design to become fussy.
Simply does it
The best gardens are always simple in their design. They may get
embellished with features and intricate planting schemes but
underneath all that, the design it’s self is very simple.
It’s often one of the biggest mistakes anyone new to garden
design makes, putting too much in their garden. More, really
doesn’t add anything other than confusion and chaos to your
design.
It’s really easy to get caught up in the excitement of creating
your dream garden, there are so many things you can do with a
garden, you are spoilt for choice.
In the exercises in the worksheets, I suggested you draw simple
geometric shapes. Whilst you may well have done this, how
many shapes did you draw?
If you used more than two or three in each design, it’s too much.
Assuming of course you didn’t envisage the space in the boxes to
be the size of a football pitch - then you’d get away with using
more two or three shapes - but even then five would be my
maximum!
A novice error
As beginners we often assume we have to put a lot of things into
our designs for them to be ‘different, dynamic and exciting’.
SUCCESS TIP: Less really is more when it comes to
garden design! Simplicity is key.
Module 2: Lesson 7f
Module 2: Lesson 09
That’s when we fall into the kitchen sink trap - everything but the
sink goes into the design and it doesn’t work.
you’re going to add and then finished off with the plants, your
simple shapes will no longer look simple.
It sometimes feels too simplistic to just put a circular lawn with a
patio and then say job done! But sometimes that’s the very best
design for the garden. So don’t discount something just because
it is simple.
The end result is a culmination of all the layers. If it’s fussy at the
shaping stage just imagine how cluttered it’s going to look by the
time you’ve finished.
Take another look at the beginner’s ideas gallery in lesson two.
Notice how most of the gardens are simple geometric shapes like
circles, ovals & squares. Keep your eyes focused on the empty
spaces. See how simple the design structure actually is.
Be warned!
So did you find the gardens featured in the Beginner’s gallery dull
& uninteresting? They may not all have been to your taste and
style but hopefully you weren’t dropping off to sleep viewing
them!
Layering, or why simplicity is so
important
Because good garden design consists of so many layers, it is
really vital that the main form and structure (the shape of the
empty spaces) is kept simple. By the time you’ve chosen the
materials the garden will be built from, what garden features
You might find it difficult to keep things simple in the beginning.
You will be drawn towards doing too much. If this happens come
back to the design another time and look at how you can simplify
it.
The Henry David Thoreau quote that springs to mind is ‘Simplify,
simplify, simplify’ and of course Ralph Waldo Emerson’s retort ‘I
think one simplify would have sufficed!’ is equally relevant!
The easiest way to keep things simple is to be big and bold with
your designing. When we are new to something it can often be
frightening to do anything bold so we draw small shapes or just
have tiny borders hugging the perimeter fence. Whist this may
feel safe, it doesn’t make for a good design.
Module 2: Lesson 7f
Module 2: Lesson 09
Few and bold work better
interlocking circular shapes and the second is three simple shapes
which form the basis of the design.
Watch the video that accompanies this lesson to see real life
examples of all the design principles in action and download the
worksheet to have a go at using simplicity for yourself.
To sum up all that you’ve learnt in lesson 7
SUCCESS TIP: Go easy on the number of shapes - two
or three is usually enough unless you have an enormous
garden.
If you remember back to our very first lesson, I talked about
mindset and being confident in what you do. Now is the time to
use that mindset.
If the shapes you are drawing are big and bold (with the right
proportion) then you won’t go wrong. See the example in the
picture above. The first garden is a complete clutter with lots of
1) SHAPE - work out what shape you want your garden to be
first.
2) PROPORTION - Make sure the shape you choose is in
proportion to the rest of the garden as well as individual
design elements.
3) MOVEMENT - create interest within your design, move the eye
around the garden from side to side if possible.
4) PUNCTUATION - Emphasise changes of direction and main
view points with focal points to hold the eye and create
additional interest in key areas of your garden.
5) BALANCE - Try to avoid your design looking top heavy, make
your shapes narrower towards the top of your garden if
possible.
6) REPETITION - Repeat key elements, shapes, materials and
plants within your design to give a feel of continuity and also
help move the eye from one similar element to another.
7) SIMPLICITY - Keep your design shapes as simple as you can so
the design doesn’t end up looking cluttered and confusing.