 This year the Association of Professional Landscape Designers annual design conference was held in Orlando, FL. You may wonder what exactly a Michigan girl like me would learn about designing landscapes from the lush, semi tropical gardens of Winter Park, but believe me when I say "Lots & lots!" I truly enjoy visiting gardens and landscapes in areas much different than our own. When I can recognize and identify every plant in the garden, I often get too interested in how the plants are used and combined to notice much else. Taking the plants out of the equation gives me the opportunity to evaluate the designs based on design principles alone. How did the designer address site conditions? Does the hardscape layout make sense? Do the materials compliment or contrast with the home? How are the traffic patterns being controlled? How did the designer use texture, repetition, focal points, line, form, contrast & color to create balance or chaos in the space? What unique use of materials can I take home and use in my designs? I present to you: the world's most picture heavy post!  I love the grotto feel of this pool, the soft curves, natural stone coping and pocket planting. It feels like a woodland spring, or swimming hole in a mountain stream. |