Tutorials: Landscaping Help Section

[samoht04]

(This may not be the best example but I can change it later on)

I have had a few people ask about landscaping and where I get my inspiration from so I thought I would make a Thread to share some of this and for other people to share ideas and methods.

Some Tips Below:

Think about who lives in the house, how many people, careers, traits and style to design your outdoor space.

• Use the space wisely
• You don't need a lot of flowers/shrubs to make a garden look good
• If you have a patio area start with that so you know what space you have left
• Use decorations and flowers to make a homely garden
• Terrain paints can be mixed for a good combo that looks realistic, a whole area of one texture may look odd

I tend to design my gardens around the sims who will use it, if there is a gardener I leave space for a garden, an Athlete maybe a pool or outdoor workout area, Hopeless Romantic maybe a Fire and a two person love seat. There are many combinations which can work together, you can create several sections in one garden, a Kids Area, Family area and quiet area.

If you have a view work with it, don't block it out with hundreds of trees, a few in the corner or by the house don't look bad but they make a lot of difference to the appeal of the house. A few flower beds round front don't hurt, a tree and shrubbery by the Carport.

Inspiration - The best place to get inspiration from is other peoples gardens/outdoor areas. See what they have done, what works well and what doesn't, just a walk around the town or village can give inspiration. TV programs on gardening and shows of landscaping help.

This is a show near where I live which I have been to - Malvern Spring Garden Show

Google Images is also very good at showing off gardens - Google Images Gardens

[Pam]

Very nice thread, Samoht. 

Just a side note, I have a niece who is living in England for 3 years and she carries on about the gardens there.  She says they are just gorgeous everywhere.

[HelenP]

Yes, we are really lucky to have a lot of big posh houses with cool gardens in a fairly small area (compared to the States), and then they make programmes about them for the TV so we don't even have to travel to see them 

[samoht04]

Out in the countryside you get the big gardens which can be quite nice and not over crowded but with ponds, flower beds, trees and loads of stuff. In the 'Suburbs' you see mainly see tiny gardens full of colourful flowers.  

EDIT:

Pam, could I post pictures of Different types of Gardens and Landscaping you can do in this thread or does it have to be in the Building showcase?

[Pam]

@Samoht:  You can put some here for instructional purposes. 

[samoht04]

Thanks Pam, I will put them up tomorrow! I am cleaning the house today...  So one day left of Simming before Holiday.

[Joria]

When I'm doing landscaping I think of a few things my art instructors taught me.  First, uneven numbers rather than even numbers.  Three trees together, or three points of interest, doesn't have to be trees, looks better than two or four.  I also think of the color wheel.  Do I want something that blends or stands out, colorwise, and in a garden green can almost be considered a neutral color.

Do I want something formal or carefree?  Do I want cottage eclectic, (I think of the fabulous cottage gardens in England when I "see this"), or am I looking for something like Hampton Court Park Gardens, which are lovely and very formal?  Do I want Versailles, or a tiny private spot?  Or how about some of the rooftop gardens you see in big cities, which can be very varied with flowers, potted trees and fruits and veggies tucked in with nice places to sit and admire.  Hmmm, I think I need to make a roof top garden.  Here we have the Portland Experimental Rose Gardens which are cheek by jowl with the Japanese Gardens.  So much to chose from!

I tend to use a lot of hydrangeas simply because the blue and white ones are cheap!  If I had my endless funds though I know I could go hog wild.

Something I would like to see addressed in this thread is the use of ornamental rocks.  I'm terrible at that!  I never know where to put them or how to arrange them properly and I've often seen where there is a gratuitous rock just kind of stuck somewhere it doesn't quite fit in.  I avoid using them because of this, so help would be good.

[samoht04]

I will post some pictures and some ideas tomorrow!  I have heard of the Odd Numbers idea as well! I tend to go with a natural look most of the time, maybe reflecting these 'Cottage Gardens' we Brits have! 

[samoht04]

This Garden Design is to show you don't need bright colours or flowers but green can work well, it has modern features but can work with older features just as well:


This Garden Design is the Typical back garden style, flowers, stone paths and the table and umbrella. This is more of a Couples home but could work as a family or party garden:



Those are just some of the types of Gardens you could make, feel free to share images of your gardens or outdoor spaces which work well or you need help or tips for improvement. Next update I will show how you can use Sculptures and Decorative Rocks to add to your garden without going overboard.  

[samoht04]

I couldn't sleep so I did it now!  

Rocks can add a natural, environmental feel to the garden, they work better in piles and I don't normally fuss over them, using Moveobjects on is the best way to landscape full stop but with rocks it is perfect. You can make new rock shapes and pull them in closer to form a pile. Rock piles always need some shrubbery in my own opinion. Undergrowth growing in gaps or over the top seem natural and realistic, a pile in a corner can fill gaps and look good at the same time.

Pictures will be added tomorrow, I have to resize them in photobucket.  

[samoht04]

So lets say you have a border, you want some flowers, shrubbery and some trees, here is how I went in steps: I used moveobjects on to do this and adding some small flowers in gaps helps a lot in my opinion.


But if you wanted a Modern beach like feel with a tropical tree and shrubs with rocks you can do this.


Now I like to use Rock 'Piles' or heaps but they can look a tad bit odd on their own, nothing a few flowers and greenery can't fix, it also makes it seem more realistic.


This was a Island in a pool, just some flowers and that was it but there was space, if you don't want to over kill add some rocks to fill it in a bit.



One rock on it's own can look a bit lonely, even with some plant life so I normally use two or three different sizes. These are also two pictures of the same heap which were a heap of rocks with several flowers in the gaps, height and low plants work well in 'rockeries'



Hope this has helped you with using rocks as a decorative item. 

[Joria]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!  It really has helped a lot.  Ummm, can you do a lovely English, cottage garden for me?  I miss seeing them.  Lots of lavender please.  (the herb, not the color)

[samoht04]

Sure, I will have a go! 

[LlamaMama]

@Samoht: I can't believe you're only 13! Is that for real? Do you hope to become an architect?

One problem I have with landscaping is trees blocking my view of the sims. Unfortunately that results in my placing trees around the margins of the lot.

[samoht04]

Well nearer 14 in about 14 days!  I have thought of architecture but in Real Life there is maths... 

That is something you have to think about, which view are you more likely to see in? I think I remember you saying you zoomed out to play so extra hard to landscape!