1 SOFT LANDSCAPE

1.1 DEFINITION OF SOFT LANDSCAPE

The term soft landscape is used by practitioners of landscape design, landscape architecture and
garden design; and gardeners to describe the vegetative materials which are used to improve a
landscape by design.
Generally, soft landscape is known as components of landscape which s organic components
that require time to mature or effectual and they are really depending on the climate surrounding. It
includes the natural features, such as lawns, embankments and planting.
Leveling the soil, root and weeding, and concept of planting a small forest are also parts of soft
landscape works.

1.2 TYPE OF SOFT LANDSCAPE

1.2.1 Ornamental/specimen

Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape
design projects, as houseplants, for cut flowers and specimen display. The cultivation of these, called
floriculture, forms a major branch of horticulture. trees may be called ornamental trees. This term is
used when they are used as part of a garden or landscape setting, for instance for their flowers, their
texture, form and shape, and other aesthetic characteristics. In some countries trees in 'utilitarian'
landscape use such as screening, and roadside plantings are called amenity trees.

The term ornamental plant is used here in the same sense that it is generally used in the
horticultural trades.
[1][2]
The term largely corresponds to 'garden plant', though the latter is much less
precise, as any plant may be grown in a garden. Ornamental plants are plants which are grown for
display purposes, rather than functional ones. While some plants are both ornamental and functional,
people usually use the term ornamental plants to refer to plants which have no value beyond being
attractive, although many people feel that this is value enough. Ornamental plants are the keystone of
ornamental gardening, and they come in a range of shapes, sizes and colors suitable to a broad array
of climates, landscapes, and gardening needs.

Ornamental plants used indoors help purify the air and create a pleasant atmosphere. Many
people position plants around the home in accordance with the ancient Chinese practice of Feng
Shui. Outdoors, ornamental plants help beautify a landscape and create an appealing environment.
Ornamental plants are plants which are cultivated primarily for aesthetic purposes, although they may
have culinary or medicinal uses as well. Plants of every imaginable type, including trees, grasses and
vines, have been grown as ornamentals.














(http://www.shutterstock.com/s/ornamental-garden/search.html)
Figure : Ornament plant















(http://bougainvilleaplant.blogspot.com/2012/01/miss-alice-white-bougainvillea.html)
Figure : Festuca ovina

Here are some example of ornamental grass that commonly used in landscaping: Festuca
ovina Glauca, Blue Fescue, creates an entirely different effect in the garden border with its unique
foliage. Its finely textured silvery blue evergreen leaves are among the most brilliant of all grasses.
When planted en masse, this grass gives the garden a neat, unique appearance as it is only six to
eight inches in height. Its flowers are best cut when faded and, if planted closely, it can be mowed like
a lawn in spring and mid-summer to foster growth of the youngest, bluest shoots.



















(http://www.gardensandplants.com/uk/plant.aspx?plant_id=1934)
Figure : Elymus arenarius


Elymus arenarius, Blue Lyme Grass, a grass of 24 inches, is a native of coastal sand dunes. The
distinctive features of this plant are its blue leaves and its aggressive nature. Because of its ability to
form large colonies, it is extremely useful in sandy areas and on banks for soil erosion control. In
richer soils it will not spread as quickly but will certainly thrive, providing there is full sun.























(http://pixgood.com/pennisetum-alopecuroides-winter.html)

Figure : Pennisetum Alopecuroides



Pennisetum alopecuroides, Fountain Grass, is one of the most popular and graceful of all
ornamental grasses. As its name suggests, its flower heads gracefully arch outward over loosely
tufted foliage as spray from a fountain. From late August through October, pinkish flowers rise above
narrow leaves, which depending on variety, may be six inches to three feet in height. In the late fall,
the flowers shatter and the foliage turns yellow. Pennisetum alopecuroides Moudry has dark, almost
black flowers with a wider leaf blade than other varieties. The nearly black flowers provide a stunning
contrast to the green leaf blades. Fountain grasses, Moudry in particular, have a tendency to sprout
abundantly from seed and may become weedy.


(http://www.treenan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/1257911466.jpg)

Figure : Pearl Grass

Pearl grass grows erect and each plant produces multiple stems. Pearl Grass is a tall grass that
should not be mowed below 9 inches in height. Pearl grass is commonly grown in fields for grazing
and cultivated as hay. When it reaches 20 to 24 inches in height, it is ready for grazing. This grass
can be cut for hay or silage when it is 2 to 3 feet tall.




(http://www.thegardenhelper.com/discussions/1125-tiff-turf-carpet-grass.html)
Figure : Carpet grass

Carpet grass is a stoloniferous grass that features wide leaves with rounded tips. This grass closely
resembles crabgrass and has sheaths that are covered with fine hairs. Carpet grass is low-
maintenance, making it a common choice for roadsides, golf course roughs and parks.


1.2.2 Structural and Shade Giving Trees

Trees grow and become dominant in a landscape. You may not be as aware of large trees as you
are of some other eye-catching plants, but trees do have a dramatic effect on other landscape
materials. Larger trees, and where they are located, determine sunlight for shrubs, turf and ground
covers. As you drive through a residential area, notice how the presence or absence of trees affects
how much you see of the individual homes.
Trees serve a number of functions. They provide shade, filter pollutants, provide background and
enclosure, exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide, block winds or channel breezes, frame or hide views,
reduce noise, prevent erosion and define outdoor spaces. Studies show that trees even enhance and
increase the resale value of a house.
Trees are commonly divided into 3 different sizes which are big tree, medium size tree, and small
tree. The stem of a big tree are mostly hard and have long roots. It is not suitable to be planted near a
house, road or footpath because its hard and long roots may damaged the structure of an element.

Forms of Trees

No doubt about it, trees are an investment. Most trees are slow growing; it takes a number of
years for them to mature. So, first consider trees when developing a landscape plan. Because trees
differ in form (shape), texture and seasonal color, they should be selected and planted with care. The
outline or silhouette of a tree is its form. The basic tree forms are: rounded, oval, spreading,
pyramidal, columnar, weeping and vase-shaped.
Rounded, oval and spreading forms are prominent in trees native to Georgia and the
southeastern United States. Most new trees in the home landscape should have one of these forms; it
helps them relate to existing trees. These forms offer a wide selection of trees with interesting
characteristics. Several of them, dogwood and red maple, for example, are rich in seasonal color.
Examples of rounded trees are the goldenrain tree, red maple, crabapple and loquat. Some
examples of oval trees are the Bradford pear, river birch, sourwood and sugar maple. Spreading trees
include the laurel oak, live oak, Chinese pistache and double flowering peach.
Use the other formspyramidal, vase-shaped, columnar and weepingwith restraint. Because of
their contrasting silhouette, they serve best as accent plants. Locate these forms well away from other
trees. An exception to this rule involves using pyramidal-shaped trees in a background grouping or
windbreak. Pyramidal, columnar and vase-shaped trees lead the eye upward. They are excellent for
breaking up long, monotonous, horizontal lines. The strong hanging lines of weeping trees lead the
eye back to the ground. This form is a nice contrast in front of buildings with strong vertical lines or
long, blank walls. Of course, a specimen weeping willow is always at home at the waters edge.
Examples of pyramidal trees are cryptomeria, deodar cedar, Leyland cypress and southern magnolia.
Columnar trees include the Columnare red maple, Princeton Sentry ginkgo and Temples
Upright sugar maple. The contorted willow, weeping willow and Yoshino cherry are examples of
weeping trees, while the Parkview zelkova, purple-leaf plum and vitex are some examples of vase-
shaped trees.
Texture is the visual feel of a plant. It is determined by the size, shape and arrangement of leaves.
Plants have either a fine, medium or coarse texture. Trees with small, smooth, widely spaced leaves
are finetextured. The opposite arrangementlarge, rough and closely spaced leavesindicates a
coarse textured tree. Most trees are either medium or coarse. Texture also influences the degree of
shade. Use fine textured trees for filtered shade. Slash or loblolly pine and thornless honey locust are
good examples of this type. Medium and coarse textured trees usually cast a much deeper shade.































































































Figure : Forms of Tree
1.2.3 Flowering

Nowadays, most of us like to use flowering plant for landscaping. It is because the flower gives color
to their landscape. However, there are a lot of things that need to be considered in choosing flowering
plant such as the characteristic of plant color, ability to adapt with the soil, amount of watering needed
and so on.

Commonly there are 6 different type of plant that gives flowers which are; Annuals, Biennials,
Perennials, Bulbs, Corms and Tubers, Trees, and Bushes

Annuals are plants that grow for only one season. The seeds germinate, grow into seedlings, mature
and flower. The plant dies when the first frost comes. Most of annual plants are vegetables that flower
a set fruit include peppers, squash, peas, beans and tomatoes. These plants can be in flower garden
as well as annual flowers such as cosmos, marigolds, zinnias, stock, sweet peas and snapdragons.



















(http://galleryhip.com/cucurbita-pepo-pumpkin.html)
Figure : Cucurbita Pepo Pumpkins

Biennials are plants that grow from seed the first year and blossom and die the second year.
Biennials usually produce vegetative or green growth the first year and then flower and reproduce the
next year.































(http://higgledygarden.com/2011/11/24/digitalis-purpurea-foxglove/)
Figure : Foxglove (digitalis)

A perennial is a plant that grows for several years at a time from the same roots. There are both large
perennials and small ones. For example, a tree is a perennial. It grows off the same roots every year
and you do not need to replace it on an annual basis. An example of a smaller perennial is a
columbine. Your columbines will die back to the ground at the end of the growing season, but will
come back up the next year and grow and bloom.






















(http://flowerinfo.org/columbine-flowers)
Figure : Columbine

Bulbs, corms and tubers (Figure 25) hold the genetic code to reproduce the plant.
Spring bulbs include daffodils, crocus, iris, hyacinth and tulips. Summer-flowering bulbs include
oriental lilies, Asiatic lilies, day lilies and amaryllis. Corms include freesias, ranunculus and gladiolus.
Tubers include begonias and bearded iris.
























Figure : Bulbs, corms and tubers

Trees that are cultivated for fruit production must flower first to form fruit. Deciduous trees include
apple, pear, cherry, peach and plum. Evergreen fruit trees include lemon, lime, orange and other
citrus fruits. Some trees are planted solely for the aesthetic appeal of their flowers rather than fruit
production. These include dogwood, orchid tree and crape myrtle.

















(http://home.howstuffworks.com/define-crape-myrtle.htm)
Figure : Crape Myrtle
Crape myrtle is a flowering tree with multiple large, showy flower panicles in electric colors that sizzle
across the branches-pink, purple, red-violet, and white. Crape myrtle is a broad-crowned
deciduous tree that is variable in size, averaging about 20 to 25 feet, but potentially taller. Dwarf forms
are also available.