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Plants as architectural framework and of aesthetic value in Jordan landscape

home gardens

Article  in  Acta Horticulturae · February 2016

DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2016.1108.12

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Plants as architectural framework and of aesthetic
value in Jordan landscape home gardens
L. Alkhatib and M. Qrunfleh
The University of Jordan, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture & Crop Science, 11942, Amman,
Jordan.

Abstract
To explore on the role of plants in Jordan home gardens, existing garden designs
were examined, and two questionnaires were prepared. The results showed that in
designing home gardens, point, line, plane, volume, texture, and color should be well
designed. Accordingly, the designs will assess unity, variety, focalization, balance, and
scale. Both, living and non-living elements are capable of having their architectural
functions. The questionnaires indicated that most home garden owners have a
positive feeling towards presence of plants. Examining the design indicators revealed
positive answers toward coherence, disturbance, complexity, and naturalness while
the positive one was assessed against imageability. Ephemera took a positive value
especially during the spring time, and the plants have higher functional value; and the
need is for maintenance.

Keywords: landscape design, living and none living elements

INTRODUCTION
Landscape (LS) is one of the most beautiful and spreading arts since ancient times and
is the book in which countries express their culture and development. According to
Robinson (2004), there are three main purposes of planting design identified: function,
ecology and aesthetics. However, Simonds (2006) expressed the functional and aesthetic
role of plants in two terms “science and arts”.
According to Daniel (2001), LS quality arises from the relationship between properties
of the LS and their effects on human viewers. Lothian (1999) put LS quality in two
paradigms: objective and subjective. Meanwhile Zube et al. (1982) placed it in four
paradigms: expert, psychophysical, cognitive and experiential.
Bell (2004) studied the basic elements and its organization in LS. Several theories and
concepts appeared for explaining the interaction of people with the environment
surrounding them and LS. According to Fry et al. (2009), evolutionary theory explains visual
LS preferences, while Motloch (2001) explained theory of preferences. These two theories
can make important contributions to LS planning and management, and is our basis for the
development of visual indicators from a conceptual approach (Fry et al., 2009).
The role of the LS elements for forming an architectural framework was studied
through the three basic planes (base, vertical and overhead planes) which form space.
Vertical elements are the most apparent and the easiest to control (Simonds, 2006); and Dee
(2001) studied three types of vertical plane: edge, thresholds and foci.
Climate of an area can limit the usability and comfortability of reactions. Regrettably,
we cannot change the climate of the earth, thus we either acclimatize ourselves to this
climate or do a little change for a given limited area. Several factors have been shown to
influence people’s perceptions and use of the outdoor environment (Eliasson et al., 2007).
According to Nikolopoulou and Lykoudis (2007), appropriate microclimatic treatment of
different spaces, offering the environmental diversity required at different seasons. However,
trees, climbers, hedges and ground covers play an important role in modifying the
microclimate (Kotzen, 2003; Lam, 2007; Huang et al., 2008). The aim of the current study is
to explore more on the role of plants in Jordan home gardens such as forming an
architectural framework, changing the microclimate and providing the aesthetic role in

  Acta Hortic. 1108. ISHS 2016. DOI 10.17660/ActaHortic.2016.1108.12 97

XXIX IHC – Proc. Int. Conf. on Landscape and Urban Horticulture and International
  Symposium on Sustainable Management in the Urban Forest
Eds.: G. Groening et al.
home LS design.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Plant forms and their functions in home LS design were studied through adopting two
methodologies: studying the existing home garden designs, and preparation of two types of
questionnaires. Photos were taken from ten home gardens. The elements of each garden
were studied separately to identify the ability of each one in creating high quality
architectural framework and to determine the aesthetic value. The visual characteristics of
plants were examined.
Two types of questionnaires were prepared and given to home garden owners to be
filled to study the architectural framework for both living and none living elements in the
garden and to know the aesthetic value of gardens.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Existing home garden designs

Point in LS can be presented in gardens either singly as a focal point or in a group as a
part of line, plane and volume which can be formed from one point type or different ones.
One point type sacrifices its strength and offers it to line, plane and volume as in the linear
line of the path (Figure 1), and the plane of the ground (Figure 2). However, utilizing
different types of points as in the plants (Figure 3), the strength of the linearity will be
decreased and a more natural look will appear. According to Arnheim (1974), using one
single type of element not surrounded with another will be visually heavier than that
surrounded by others.

Figure 1. The outdoor sitting area and linear path line.

Figure 2. Points were arranged to produce a plane.

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Figure 3. White flagstone path with plants on both sides creating a symmetrical balance.
The direct (Figure 3) and angular line (Figure 4) are more close to manmade and
powerful which suites entrances and formal gardens. Direct line is more suitable for home
entrance and public buildings. Angular line (Figure 4) which lacks variety, created monotony.
In this case, the designer should consider mystery. Direct movement, obtained by direct line,
imparts a sense of immediacy and purpose; indirect movement, in angular line, impart a
sense of tension or mystery. To stabilize the design, lines direction (vertical and horizontal)
should be controlled and used (Figure 5).

Figure 4. Angular pathway with a low hedge.

Figure 5. Horizontal and vertical lines by two elements.
It is known that plane in LS can be formed either from a single element or combination
of elements. Singly used plants require different plant forms to complement each other and

99
to be in harmony with the surrounding structures. Unfortunately, the situation where the
rounded form of Ficus elastica does not suit with the trimmed form of Lavandula officinalis
(Figure 6); and the conical shape of Juniperus communis and the pyramidal shape of
Araucaria heterophylla which is in contrast with the flattened roof building (Figure 7).
According to Brooks (1992), when the strong forms of plants are grouped by very low visual
weight, the linkage element in between must be considered. Plants can be grouped to form a
true plane to enframe the entrance (Figure 8) where Parthenocissus tricuspidata is used or
false (imaginary) where the points (white flagstone) are connected with an imaginary line.
When volume in its three dimensional structure is used (Figure 8) instead of two
(Figure 9), the design in this case is offered a higher aesthetic value (Bell, 2004). Strong
volumes such as buildings reduce strength of home garden designs; the designer should
make the building and the design complementary to each other rather than being
competitive where the plants were left to grow on the building (Figure 10).

Figure 6. Plants with different forms, textures and colors.

Figure 7. Contrast in form and texture between garden plants and home building.

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Figure 8. Utilizing plants for framing and focusing the entrance, using volume in its three
dimensions.

Figure 9. Plants enframing entrance with low stewardship using volume in its two
dimensions.

Figure 10. Plants act as a living wall for the building.
Utilizing the extreme textures without using the intermediate ones may reduce the
aesthetic value of the design where the fine textured Juniperus communis was next to the
coarse textured Acanthus spp. (Figure 7). Intermediate textures not only offer the design a
higher aesthetic value but unify the design (Figure 11), where the intermediate textured
Ligustrum vulgare is between the fine textured Cupressus sempervirens and the coarse
textured Chamaerops humili, Sabal minor, and Phormium tenax ‘Variegata’ which leads to
changes in depth of the design (Motloch, 2001).
Contrast and harmony could be created in the design. The complementary contrast

101
where the yellow flowers of Canna, the golden foliage of Stipa and the dark red foliage of
Berberis gave good combination with the surrounding elements (Figure 12). Motloch (2001)
discussed four types of contrast: value, temperature, hue, and complementary contrasts.
The elements of the design should be related to each other so as to provide unity in the
design to create the feeling of oneness as in the woody door (Figure 13), the plants climbing
the building (Figure 10), the entrance enframed with plants (Figure 8), connecting the
indoor space with the outdoor space (Figure 14) and making transition between two
different elements (Figure 11), where medium textures, colors and forms of plants enhanced
unity.

Figure 11. Various plants textures, forms and colors.

Figure 12. A small scale garden with complementary contrast.

Figure 13. Wooden door enframed by Dracaena australis separates from adjacent garden.

102

Figure 14. Connection between kitchen and outside garden.
Special places within the LS have unique potential to concentrate meaning to the focal
point (Motloch, 2001) (Figure 15) where the dwarf palm Butia capitata acted as a focal point
during daytime and during night by supplementing the tree with uplight lambs. According to
Hannebaum (2002), lighting aids in the creation of dramatic focal points in the landscape at
night. According to Motloch (2001), when the focal point is out of its center into a corner or
edge, tension is produced.

Figure 15. Dwarf palm as focal point for a small scale garden.
The designer utilized asymmetrical balance which introduced higher aesthetic value
and offered more natural impact as compared to the symmetrical balance (Figure 3).
According to Motloch (2001), asymmetrical balance is much more causal and dynamic than
symmetrical balance.
When the space in a home garden is limited, it is preferable to have small scale garden.
Therefore, plants sizes should be related to each other (Figure 12). Motloch (1976) reported
that size of elements in a composition should be related to each other and to the format.

Architectural framework
The role of the LS elements in providing the architectural framework was studied
through studying its role on forming the three basic planes: base, vertical and overhead
planes. In the base plane, plants and none living elements can have the function of
connectivity (Figure 3), decorative surface (Figure 12), walking and decoration (Figure 1),
and directing (Figure 4). The vertical planes define the surrounding edges of a space,
separate one space from another and directly affect views (Booth and Hiss, 2012). In the
vertical plane, both the living and the none living elements did their function successfully in
the designs for forming architectural functions as directing the eyes of viewers (Figure 3), a
background for the garden (Figure 10), a foreground (Figure 15), decorative purpose (Figure
16), a natural wall (Figure 10), separating two adjacent spaces (Figure 13), and enclosure
(Figure 17). The overhead plane is mainly utilized to provide shade using the trees

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(Figure 18), the tree and pergola (Figure 19), the climbing plants (Figure 8) and the pergola
and the climbing plants (Figure 16).

Figure 16. Wooden pergola and sitting area with plants.

Figure 17. Stony sitting area as focal point.

Figure 18. Horizontal and vertical lines by two elements.

Figure 19. Built structures and plants.

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Questionnaires
The architectural framework was studied from the owner’s viewpoint. The answers on
questionnaire one revealed the following: the plants and the none living elements have
architectural function; 93% of the questioned mentioned that the plants have a positive role
in their activity while 79% indicated the none living elements; 64% of the gardens were
from 1 to 10 years old and 36% from 11 to 20; replacement for living plants in the younger
gardens rather than in the older ones; maintenance for plants in the older gardens is greater
than in the younger ones; presence of problems in the older gardens are due to waste,
insects, cats, poor design area, drainage and ground levels.
The answers for the aesthetic value of garden questionnaires were: most owners
believe their gardens are beautiful and pleasing towards the living elements rather than the
none living ones; flowers, trees, water features, fresh air, fragrance, birds sound and shade is
the cause of being comfortable in their gardens.
We could observed that elements of the gardens are related and fitted to each other
indicating that coherence in the gardens was very high (Hanyu, 2000). Because coherence
was very high, the designs did not show disturbance. Most of the owners have pleasing feel
during spring time. Thus the perception of ephemera took positive value in spring.
According to Tveit et al. (2006), the concept of ephemera relates to LS changes through the
year. Most gardens are rich in variety indicating high complexity (Tveit et al., 2006); and
most gardens contain high number of trees, vegetations, flowers, which is a good indicator of
naturalness.

CONCLUSIONS
Home gardens’ aesthetic value can be assessed by organizing the basic landscape
elements to provide unity, variety, focalization, balance and scale. Plants have higher positive
reflection on home gardens feeling than the none living. Both living and none living elements
can perform their architectural function but the previous was more preferable.

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