Plants and Design

Unit-III

CONTENTS:

CRITERIA FOR PLANT SELECTION

1
Plants and Design – Lecture 05 presented by – Ar. Naveen Kumar
Plant selection is a very important step in the Landscape Design Sequence. The process
of plant selection begins in the Draft Design stage and is finished in the Completed
Landscape Design.Plant selection is an organized process. Plants are the foundation of
our outdoor environment.

There are a number of reasons for selecting plants for the landscape.
Plant selection process examines several factors: site adaptability, function,
aesthetics, and management.
Searches for plants can be based on the following characteristics:

Plant Type This includes such choices as "Evergreen " or "Deciduous " for trees or
shrubs, or " Perennial" or "Fern" for herbaceous plants.
Plant Height For woody plants, these categories indicate the expected mature size of
Plant Width the plant when informally pruned. An unpruned plant could get larger, and
most plants could be kept smaller with more intensive pruning.
The width indicated for herbaceous perennials refers to the width of a
well-established plant, usually 3-4 years old. Herbaceous perennials need
division at different ages, depending on the species, and therefore the
width can vary greatly. The widths in this program, however, can be used
for spacing purposes during the design process.

Texture Texture refers to the visual fineness or coarseness of the foliage and
branches.
Form This describes the overall shape of the plant, such as upright or
spreading.
Seasonal This category refers to the season, such as spring or fall, when the plant
Interest has exceptional seasonal interest.
Flower Color This category is included only in the "Herbaceous" plant section.
Other For herbaceous plants only, this category provides information about
Seasonal seasonal interest other than flower color, such as foliage color.
Interest
Seasonal This category is included only in the "Woody" plant section. It provides
Interest information about a plant's seasonal interest, such as flowers or fall
Specifics foliage color.
Use Most plants can be used in a variety of ways.
Growth The speed of growth relative to other plants of its type, such as slow,
medium or fast.
Light This category indicates the best light conditions for each plant. In general,
"Partial Sun" means at least 6 hours of sunlight each day.
Orientation It refers to exposure to the north, east, south and west direction.
Soil Most plants can survive in a wide range of soil conditions, when given
proper care and maintenance. This category lists soil conditions for which
plants are especially adapted.
The first criteria in plant selection should always be suitability to the site. Choose
plants that will thrive in a particular location's soil moisture content and sun/shade
regime.

The second criteria for plant selection should be function. Native plants will be the best
choice for this. Generally, native plants develop extensive root systems, will be best
suited to a location's environment and requires less maintenance.

The third criteria for plant selection is for plants that do no harm. That is, those plants
should not be chosen that have the potential to become invasive and overpower
beneficial native plants.

Factors related to site adaptability – such as the plant’s tolerance for site conditions
such as soil type, exposure and light levels – will define whether the aesthetic selections
will perform to what we have expected or not.

The final consideration in plant selection is management. Landscape management or

maintenance guides the development of plants in the landscape.

Looking first at plant type two things should be kept in mind which are: match the plant
with the space which will further lead to consider shape. Shape adds another dimension
to the ornamental quality of a plant composition. It also aids in characterizing the
relationship between or among plants in the composition. Selecting for shape will give us
plants for overhead, underneath as well as side by side.
The site conditions guide selection or modify the site (soils, drainage, microclimate) to
accommodate the plant introduced.

Guiding Factors:

Light Exposure – full sun, part sun, shade or dense shade. It refers to the amount of light
available in the designated planting area. Knowing daily light patterns and their changes
with the season again help tailor selections.

Available light can also change with the maturity of the planting. As plants grow, what once
was considered full sun can now be classified as partial shade. It may be necessary to
change plants in a composition as time influences light levels.

Soil Drainage – if there is standing water for more than a few hours at any time, we may
have a problem.

Soil Compaction – there is need to identify if the ground is hard like concrete or soft as
the forest floor. Harder or dense soils, are more difficult to grow plants in.

Soil pH – is another soil parameter influencing plant growth. Soil pH regulates the
availability of micronutrients in the soil. It is a measurement on a scale from (1-14), 7 is
neutral; below that is acidic and above is alkaline. The ideal pH for most conditions is 6.5.

Soil Fertility – this factor is directly related to organic matter content.

Soil type influences aeration, water retention, drainage and nutrient-holding capacity.

Sandy soils are noted for their drainage and low nutrient-holding capacity. Loams are
often considered the best soils for plant growth and development because of their
adequate aeration, drainage and nutrient levels.

Clays are suspect for poor aeration and drainage problems.

Knowing the soil type and its benefits and liabilities will aid in identifying the right plant for
the site.

Orientation may subject plants to prevailing winds or seasonal sun patterns that may have
a negative influence on their development.

Prevailing winds in the summer come from the north-northwest in Delhi region. As a rule,
broadleaf evergreens should not be placed in north-northwest exposures unless they are
protected from the direct influence of the wind. Winter sun patterns can also be a problem
for broadleaf evergreens and thin-barked trees. The sun is in the southern portion of the
sky in winter. Late afternoon sun warms plants in southwest exposures.
Function refers to the purpose that the plant serves in the landscape. The shade of a tree
canopy, the filtered screen from a hedge, or the erosion control of a ground cover
addresses the specific objectives of the planting.

Environmental role for plants focuses on their influence on microclimates within the
landscape. “Microclimate” refers to temperature, wind and light in a relatively small area.
Plants can modify microclimates in our landscapes and thus contribute to human comfort.

Plant selection follows an organized process. The criteria used in the process integrate
function, aesthetic preferences, adaptability of a species to the site, and the management
required to ensure establishment and subsequent performance.

The process may be simple or complex, depending on the priorities, flexibility, and
restrictions. In any event, following the process, giving thought to the criteria and filtering
through the possible selections will reward us with an aesthetically pleasing and functional
landscape composition.

Choosing the right plant for the right place and purpose adds greatly to the
sustainability of a landscape.