Designer offers landscaping insight

I get many calls concerning landscape. Landscape designer Patrick Bones recently supplied some interesting information I thought readers might enjoy and add insight into landscape design principles.
Mass — Mass describes the space or area occupied by an object. Your house as well as the structures and plantings in a landscape all have mass, as do individual plants. Empty space or voids also “occupy” a distinct area, and empty space is more important to landscape design than occupied space. In essence, we design the voids of a landscape. As you select plants and seek balance in a landscape, the mass of individual components (plants and structures), as well as groups of components, will become very important.
Line — Lines direct the movement of the eye through a landscape. Line is one of the most important aspects of design; it determines the way beds and paths flow together. Much like form, different types of lines elicit various emotional responses. Straight lines are formal and direct, while curved lines are more gentle and natural and jagged lines can be exciting or distracting. Consider line when shaping beds and walkways, or in choosing hardscape elements such as fences. Visualize how the straight line of a fence or a curved walkway might fit with the existing lines of the house, driveway or trees.
Texture — Texture describes the physical characteristics of a material relative to other materials. Texture is generally determined by the relative size of parts or particles. A plant with a coarse texture has large leaves or flowers and a bold appearance. A fine-textured plant has small leaves and flowers and a soft, delicate, even elegant look. A hosta or plantain lily (Hosta spp.) is an example of a coarse-textured plant, while a fern has a fine texture. Other materials, such as stones can have fine or coarse textures, again based upon the relative size of individual particles. Texture also can be created by rough or smooth surfaces, or by darkness or lightness. A landscape should include more fine than coarse textured plants and objects.
Form — Form refers to the shapes of objects in a landscape, the way in which they occupy space. The landscape itself has form, the natural and manmade squares, circles, triangles or irregular shapes formed by the existing structures such as the house, walkways and driveways. Plants also have their own form. Plant forms include pyramidal, rounded, oval, columnar, vase and flat or spreading. Different forms evoke different feelings or emotions. Rectangular forms feel orderly and formal, circles are soft, triangles are strong and irregular shapes are casual and free. When plants are placed into groups, they take on a new form as a group. Two plants with different individual forms may produce the same form when planted in groups. Often the form of plant groupings is more important than individual plant form.
Color — When we think of using color in the landscape, we most commonly think of flowers. But flowers blossom and fade, their color is fleeting. When we plan for color, we need to think beyond the blossom.
Foliage is our greatest source of garden color. Even when we look at just green foliage, we find a great range of hues. Some plants have a deep, dark green, like Magnolia, while others have a bluish tint. You can find just as much variety in just about every color of the rainbow. As we select plants for color in the garden, foliage becomes very important. As with flowers, color combinations in foliage are used to create balance and excitement.
Variegation is another aspect of foliage color. Light-colored variegation, such as in the Variegated Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens), can be used to lighten a dark, shady site. We also find very bold variegation, with the multicolored leaves of many cannas.
As we plan for color in the landscape, we can also consider seasonal color. Many plants have foliage that turns brilliant colors in the fall. 
Another type of seasonal color is that of berries. We find berries of all colors, from the purple beautyberry, to yellow crabapples, and the blue-green fruits of the Leatherleaf Mahonia (Mahonia bealei).
Bark can provide seasonal or year-round interest. The stems of Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) are hidden during the summer, but in winter, when the foliage drops, the stems take on a brilliant red color. 
Perhaps nothing is more seasonal than floral color. The bloom period of flowering plants varies greatly. Given proper care, annuals can bloom all season long, from the time they are planted in your garden until the first killing frost. Perennials, on the other hand, may bloom for only a few weeks or for months at a time.
Grouping annuals and perennials together in a garden can ensure something will be in bloom throughout the season. You can also plant perennials together that will bloom in succession as the season progresses. Spring bulbs and late-season bloomers can extend the bloom season from snow melt until late fall.
If you have questions concerning this topic or related topics, contact the OSU Extension Center at 273-7683, stop by the office, or visit the Web site: http://www.oces.okstate.edu/pottawatomie/.