Anyone with good artistic taste and a proper horticultural knowledge can produce many beautiful things in his own yard, but for real creative work of any magnitude, the born and trained artist is required. Genius like that of Raphael, or Turner, is more a matter of natural endowment than of education. There are many things which we ought to understand about landscaping, and once we do, we could skip all of the minor details which would have become second nature to us.

The order and relative importance of the several principles involved in this art may be understood most easily by a study of the unity, variety, motive, character, propriety and finish of any landscape. These qualities are ultimate and coordinate, but surprisingly, not equally important. Each work of landscape art is to be tested separately for each of these qualities.

Unity and coherence are not quite synonymous, but the ideas are very closely related, and in any extensive composition they are practically inseparable. For example, a few similar objects placed together would have unity without any effort for coherence, but several dissimilar objects may also be assembled in satisfying unity if, by some obvious relation or natural connection, they readily cohere, such as using garden statuary. So if you have one, the other follows.

Unity in any landscape composition means that one idea will be apparent throughout, and that all details will be subordinate to it. Some particular style of expression must be determined upon and consistently adhered to; and the chosen style must not be varied except within wide limits of space. Every item of the composition must contribute to the perfection predominant style, or else it must be taken out, no matter what its individual excellence.

Many people, even landscape gardeners, seem to think that if the general outlines of the plan are determined by a master artist, the construction and all minor matters may be left to the planters, the florist, or the man-of-all-work.

Unity is impossible to achieve if there is more than one person controlling it, and this one directing mind must not only have a perfectly clear and definite conception of what the finished product is to be, but must also be attached to that ideal with such zeal that no item, however desirable by itself, cannot be allowed if not in harmony with the underlying theme of the work.

This means that a definite plan should be outlined on paper. If the idea is not taken down, no matter how clear it is in the mind, it is at the mercy of time. It takes a considerable season to finish any landscape plans, the first keynote is likely to have been lost before the end is reached, and the later additions are at risk to be out of harmony with the earlier work.

The plan should be drawn with good inks on durable paper; and it should be supplemented by written specifications made equally durable. In both plans and specifications, you can never be too careful, and too deep a study can’t made of the whole and of each of its parts. It would ruin everything to leave latitude for change of mind or to invite alterations.

Attention must be paid to every detail, because messing up on any of them, however small they may seem, could affect everything you have worked on. You may not even notice until you look upon the finished product, and then your mistake will be glaringly obvious. One broken link in the harmony of your piece of art will toss everything into dissonance.