10.8 Plant Material Selection
Trees, shrubs, groundcover, and turf are the major elements of a planting composition. Basic plant selection criteria should consider creating a unified composition; utilizing native materials for low maintenance and watering requirements, and sustainability; avoiding incompatible colors, textures, and forms; and matching the appropriate plant to the land use, situation, and environmental condition. The ability of plant material to provide lasting benefit is dependent upon the plant’s hardiness and its appropriateness to the site use. Major factors affecting plant hardiness are soil type and organic content, temperature, moisture, and light. These climatic conditions can be modified to an extent by specific site conditions, such as wind protection, solar orientation, and planting design to create microclimates. Selecting appropriate plants for a given condition is only one aspect of planting design. Compositional arrangement to provide texture variety and to accent site and building features is another. The selection and composition of a planting design requires an understanding of each plant’s characteristics, form, and environmental needs as well as how each plant can relate to and complement other plants in the design. Plants are used in four basic design categories.
The use of native plant species (grasses, trees, and other plants) should be used where ever possible. These native species require less maintenance and less water than other species. Places such as ditches and open spaces are perfect locations for such native plantings. Landscaping material delivered to Fort Carson for planting will be inspected and approved of prior to installation.
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Landscape Design Standards |
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