A Behavioural Approach to Planting Design

Optional class offered every other year

One of the rather discrete contributions to environmental planning, design and management that landscape architecture can make is that of the utilization of plants for functional, aesthetic, or environmental purposes. Planting design is a complex activity, as it must respond to a myriad of programmatic objectives, climatic and site conditions and budget and maintenance constraints. It plays a major role in the art of landscape architecture but must be implemented with a sound understanding of plant science.
This course is an introduction to use of plants in the landscape – their values, care, maintenance, and limitations. The ecological, functional and aesthetic characteristics and uses of both exotic and native plants in designed landscapes are studied from their perspective of human environmental response and an ecological systems approach to planting design. From a human behavioral perspective, environmental psychology research is applied to planting design to create environments that will be valued by and will benefit the people who use them.
While this course will deal with the aesthetics and utility of planting design, it is crucial that the students understand the conditions under which plants will grow well. There are two aspects involved here. The first is ecological, that is, understanding those conditions that a particular species requires in natural habitats in order to reach, through succession, a relatively steady state to thus assure perpetuation. The second is an extension of the ecological aspect; requirements for the well being of plants in built environments which are no different than requirements in the natural environment but are influenced by the urban environment. While time does not permit covering all aspects of the culture of plants, effort will be made to cover the most important of the determining principles and practices.

Prerequisite: LARC 316.

Instructor: Patrick Mooney