Have you noticed how everything looks great at the moment - in the garden and parks I mean. Everything seems in bloom, full of colour and life. This is a great time of year for biking as well but that's another story.
Can you remember last years new development along your street that now seems a little more integrated into the landscape or street scene?
Planting....Its all about planting and using plants and trees to soften new buildings into their environment. In the seventies and eighties this was a very low priority for residential development schemes & even today, poorly landscaped developments look just that unless their new owners have had a sympathetic hand.
Landscaping normally falls into two distinct categories - hard and soft. The hard stuff is the walling, paving, steps and edges for example and the soft is the planting from mixed shrubs to exotic trees.
It is the interrelationship between these two elements that can often make or break a scheme especially at the Planning application stage. You see most Planning Authorities are now wising up to how important this aspect of urban design is & how it can have an effect on people's future living and environment.
Look though any councils empire list of departments (Planners are the worst for this) and you are guaranteed to find terms like 'urban design team' for example. The old terms of parks & trees department has now virtually disappeared with all this new rebranding jargon from the States...somebody please tell me how on earth we let the good ol'e 'personnel dept' be reinvented for 'human resources'? New fangled 'management speak' has a lot to answer for in my opinion.
Anyway, these newly invented departments are now having greater influence on what is finally approved so don't treat them lightly. Some are even teamed up with the local crime prevention who also advice on the best type of spiky bush to grow under windows to prevent Mr. swag from entering your property.
As a guide, most residential extension schemes may not require any additional planting or landscaping to be indicated on the scheme plans to ensure approval unless you have a potentially dominant or overbearing wall due to the ground slope for example that would have its impact reduced & softened by some clever planting or adjustment to the surrounding ground levels.
Speculative residential development will most certainly benefit from a bit of thought put into a separate landscaping scheme at the Planning application stage - it also helps the drawings to look very 'pretty' as well. The degree of detail will vary from council to council & from scheme to scheme. Fortunately, most Planners will accept an 'illustrative' scheme without too much reference to exact species or surface materials as this can be reserved or conditioned for later approval.
However, many will indicate that you may wish to engage further supplementary experts to get involved such as 'landscape architects' even for an outline application but this really isn't necessary unless the scheme is in a very sensitive landscaped area. Once you have your planning permission it doesn't seem that hard to part with some extra money for these extra 'expert?' fees but until then just try & indicate what you feel looks nice & will enhance the drawings with the aim of softening the building into the natural environment.
Often, many councils will actually work with you & make suggestions for landscaping especially if you are Joe public rather than an Agent. For us Design Agents it can be very frustrating having to consider Planting at an early stage of the design especially if the scheme is speculative and who wants to spend time & money deciding what trees to plant for a site when there are far more important 'first principal' design issues to consider such as siting, scale, roof lines, window orientation and distances etc. of the main building.
In my opinion, Landscaping is very much the 'chicken' for most developments when the 'egg' is to get right the basic design of of the built structure first. Most councils urban design teams with their new army 'jobsworth' strips on their shoulders from the rebranding exercise from the Parks Dept. would see things differently and this is to be expected. So if you encounter this with your scheme do not be resistant and try to include for such hard and soft landscaping elements where you can otherwise the scheme may not be supported by the Councils Planning Officer.
Our 'Maximum Build Planning Guide' explains further the issues on landscaping and trees and how they can affect development approval when extending your home for planning permission.
http://www.planning-approval.co.uk
What is xeriscaping? You may have heard of xeriscaping as... Read More
Most gardeners and landscapers will agree almost unanimously that the... Read More
Part Two in a SeriesOnce you have your landscape design... Read More
A pond, logically, the first question you should ask is... Read More
Today there are sprays, scented candles, plug-ins, and even discs... Read More
Naturalized bulbs look beautiful in a wooded setting. You can... Read More
There is simply no better vantage point from which to... Read More
If you are a gardener you probably already do a... Read More
Every spring some mysterious hormone hits the male of the... Read More
The arrival of summer heralds a time of increased wear... Read More
Before planting, the plants must be prepared. The following suggestions... Read More
More and more people are enjoying their time spent outdoors... Read More
Damping off is the single term used to describe underground,... Read More
Buying discount patio furniture is an economical way to obtain... Read More
There is nothing quite as relaxing as a leisurely evening... Read More
Twentieth century American architect Phillip Johnson once said, "I hate... Read More
If you've been gardening for any length of time you... Read More
If you are planning to go on vacation, there are... Read More
Some people have referred to daylilies as the poor man's... Read More
Container gardeners take note. Tired of clay pots? Think vintage,... Read More
Butterfly gardening is not only a joy, it is one... Read More
PLANT GROWTH & PHYSIOLOGY. (Part 5)There are three classes of... Read More
Known as "joy of the mountain," Origanum vulgare is commonly... Read More
So, you have decided to plant rose bushes in your... Read More
As the curtain of winter lifts, tulips are one of... Read More
Principles refer to standards or prescriptions for working with or... Read More
Is it possible for a garden sundial to tell perfect... Read More
Home and garden accessories make the difference between house and... Read More
Some of the best gifts you can give to a... Read More
The principal house plants which are easy to raise by... Read More
An important addition to any British back garden, the greenhouse... Read More
My first introductions to Hostas were four small green and... Read More
Bird watching brings enjoyment to many people. Selecting and correct... Read More
During my youth kids were required to pass through a... Read More
Pruning your roses does not need to be a dreaded... Read More
Today there are sprays, scented candles, plug-ins, and even discs... Read More
Do you have trouble starting your lawnmower up in the... Read More
Whenever you decide to look for a butterfly house for... Read More
Dried plants and dried flowers are midway for people who... Read More
If your fish hang out at the bottom of the... Read More
Decorative Birdhouses are active garden ornamentation --the presence and movement... Read More
Gathering tomatoes or other fruits of the garden might not... Read More
Love flowers, but don't have the space -- or the... Read More
Rosmarinus officinalis, commonly called rosemary is an aromatic herb indigenous... Read More
Container gardeners take note. Tired of clay pots? Think vintage,... Read More
Creating no dig gardens on top of the soil gives... Read More
Teak furniture is tropical hardwood that has a rich, golden... Read More
Surprisingly enough, it is usually in mid-summer that many gardeners... Read More
Newsletter Name Change?After several of you made suggestions to me... Read More
You know that brown patchy debris in a lawn that... Read More
Hydroponics gardening is a great idea for anyone who wants... Read More
PLANT GROWTH & PHYSIOLOGY. (Part 5)There are three classes of... Read More
The arrival of summer heralds a time of increased wear... Read More
The ancient herb, Anethum graveolens or Fernleaf dill as it... Read More
California has earthquakes; we in the south and east coast... Read More
Summer is over, but for many of us - the... Read More
With air and water temperatures dropping in most parts of... Read More
Planting times for vegetables and other annual plants vary from... Read More
Many of us flip through garden magazines, all the while... Read More
Do you ever dream about what your yard could look... Read More
No, ghosts of the Donner Party have not started haunting... Read More
Grow your own cooking herbs to add fresh zest and... Read More
1. If you have a non-electric mower which runs on... Read More
Set in a broad expanse of lush green lawn a... Read More
Part three in a seriesIn our last article, we helped... Read More
Are you one of those home gardeners that don't know... Read More
Landscaping & Gardening |