The Design Principle of Unity in Gardening and Landscaping

A principle of all art is unity. This means that each piece of art has one meaning. Creating landscaping or a flower garden should also incorporate this principle of unity. Your landscaping or flower garden is truly a work of art as much as any painting or sculpture.

Each work of art, large or small, should have one and only one meaning. Every part of the work of art, or in our case flower garden or landscaping, should contribute to this central or unifying meaning. Stated in physical terms, all parts of the landscaping should make one body of work with each part being subordinate to the whole. Every part which does not support in this effort must be removed, no matter how beautiful or interesting it may be in itself or so the principle of unity declares.

Unity taken to the extreme is monotony. When only one color, only one tone, or only one figure is used, the result may be monotonous. A garden planted with nothing but hollyhocks or a park with only red cedars would certainly be monotonous however beautiful the hollyhocks or cedars. Even so some believe it is better to have monotony than to lose unity. Indeed, in particular cases, monotony may be considered the height of artistic achievement.

The elimination of diverse colors, and forms, would tend towards unity. At least it would tend towards simplicity, which can be desirable in itself. Nearly all landscaping or gardening, in the hands of amateurs, shows too many forms, too many colors, and too many different kinds of plants. There are so many different kinds of plants and colors, you want to try them all. Fact is, the instances in which unity goes too far towards monotony are so rare, that these instances can be doubly interesting as curiosities.

Unity is frequently found through the development of functionality. If every part of the landscaping or flower garden has a definite and obvious practical pupose, then that dominating purpose can unify all the parts and pieces. Thus you can achieve unity.

In actual practice, the most powerful way to create unity lies in having a clear-cut motive and sticking to it. Essentially we mean, find a theme or subject for your landscaping or flower garden. Stick to it however tempting it is to not do so. In this way you can incorporate the principle of unity.

© 2005, Sandra Dinkins-Wilson. To find more articles with Gardening Tips visit our informative website, http://flowergardenlovers.com

---

Gardening - Natural Science NOT Rocket Science

Don't force yourself out of the most profitable hobby in... Read More

Riding Lawn Mowers

Most riding lawn mowers are machines fun ride and extremely... Read More

How and When to Plant Roses

When spring comes and the ground is thawed, it is... Read More

Summer Pond Tips

Low Oxygen levels Kill FishUse an oxygen tester and air... Read More

Winterizing Your Pond

For many parts of the country, it's getting to be... Read More

Greenhouse Calamities ? Thoughts from a Novice Gardener

Greenhouses are a great addition to anyone's garden. They come... Read More

Colorado Blue Spruce And Lush Red Roses

Set in a broad expanse of lush green lawn a... Read More

The Truth About Tulips

Roses may be beautiful but Tulips are magnificent. The huge... Read More

5 Secrets to Growing Beautiful Roses

A rose is a rose is a rose - and... Read More

Water Conservation in the Garden - Use a Rain Barrel to Harvest Rainwater

If you are a gardener you probably already do a... Read More

5 Simple Steps To Dividing Your Hardy Water Lilies

If you missed the springtime window of opportunity to divide... Read More

Bottle Gardening or Terrarium - Design and Maintenance

Women take pride in home decoration and gardening and want... Read More

Garden Statuary - Time for a Fresh New Look

Spring is coming, and now is the time to get... Read More

Fertilizing Your Water Lilies...

Unfortunately, sunlight is not enough.Your water lilies will grow, thrive,... Read More

What Is One Flower Benefit That You Know Of?

The biggest flower benefit of all is the fact that... Read More

Hummingbirds ? Attracting Those Little Flying Powerhouses

It's early in May a beautiful fairly warm day so... Read More

10 Free Gardening Products

One of the pleasurable spin-offs in organic gardening is finding... Read More

Create and Furnish Your Outdoor Room

More and more people are enjoying their time spent outdoors... Read More

Understanding Weeds - But mostly How to Kill em

When I was a child, I loved to pick Dandelions.... Read More

Lawn Care Information

Recent lawn care information reports that a lot of us... Read More

Orchid Care - What The Leaves Tell Us

Orchid Care Leaves Tell Us About Orchid HealthOver the past... Read More

A Look at Fall Flower Bulbs

Most people would think of fall as a season when... Read More

Orchids Are One Of Natures Most Beautiful Flowers

Orchids are beautiful flowers. The interesting thing about orchids is... Read More

Creativity with Ponds

Here's where your creative instincts kick in. This is where... Read More

Straw Bale Culture Technique

In general, plants grown in straw bales appear to require... Read More

Planting Roses in Pots

In years past, serious rosarians would never consider having a... Read More

Companion Planting

If you look closely at the natural landscape, you'll never... Read More

Are My Grapes Ready to Harvest?

This is the time of the year that I keep... Read More

Pruning Roses Secrets

Pruning your roses is one of the most needed and... Read More

Introduction to Botany

Botanists are individuals who conduct extensive study on plant biology... Read More

Plant Hardiness Zones

When selecting plants for the landscape, is important to select... Read More

Flowers Wilting? Tips for Making Your Flowers Last Longer

We all know one disadvantage of flowers is that they... Read More

Sculpture Can Bring Life to Your Garden

I should know: I've been a sculptor most of my... Read More