Best Landscape Ideas

There are many uses for Plants that exist in the world today. Whether it is for food, oxygen, energy or for beautifying a Landscape, they serve a multitude of functions. Plants are broken down into two systems. The first is the root system, which is mainly underground. The main functions of the root system are to keep the Plant firmly in the ground by anchoring it to the soil, to absorb water and nutrients and for food storage. The other system is above the ground. This system is involved in keeping the Plant standing above the soil, and is used for both photosynthesis and for food and water dispersal. No matter what type of Landscape it is located on, the main functions of the Plant are the same. As a food, they serve both the human and animal population. Certain flowers and shrubs are edible to humans, and others allow animals to get the nutrients they need to survive. They also create oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. In this process, Plants take in energy, carbon dioxide and water and minerals, in order to give off water and oxygen. One of the most popular uses however, is for decoration. Whether it is for landscaping design or to add some color to a room, Plants are a unique way to make a home or office look different. In addition to their many different uses, there are also three types of Plants which are determined based on the its life cycle. The three types are annual, biennial and perennial. Annual Plants go through their entire life cycle in a single growing season. Biennial Plants need two years to go through their life cycle. Perennial Plants exist throughout growing seasons, typically with the portion of the Plant above the soil dying every winter and blooming again in the spring. The type of soil a Plant exists in is also important. There are many natural soil options such as loam, clay or silt soil, typically varying depending on their consistency and the ability. Another option for Plant soil is mulch. Mulch keeps Plants healthy by conserving moisture. Mulch also eliminates the need to Landscape around different Plants and shrubs. Despite how a Plant is used or what soil it lives in, Plants serve many different uses in society. Whether it is used for food, oxygen and energy, or decorating a Landscape, there are thousands of Plant types that exist that can be used for all of these functions.

Landscape painting once had a rich dialogue with landscape design. The English landscape garden, for example, was greatly influenced by paintings. This rich connection hardly exists today. But painter Philip Juras might have something to say about that.

Formally trained as both a painter and a landscape architect, Juras is the perfect link between landscape painting and design. His large scale paintings capture the beauty of specific ecological communities. Juras paints primarily remnant native landscapes. Like the Manahatta project in New York, Juras’ work focuses on depicting specific ecological communities as they may have looked before European settlement.

His canvases are large and luminous, capturing the feeling of space as light moves across it. He deftly balances abstraction and ecological specificity. The compositions are serene yet teeming with life. Juras most recent series are paintings used to illustrate a book on naturalist William Bartram’s travels through the American South.

I first met Philip when I was in graduate school at the University of Georgia. My professor and native plant expert Darrel Morrison developed a class that took students to remnant virgin landscapes around the Southeast. Juras joined us on some of those trips. The landscapes we witnessed changed the way I thought about design. The complexity and majesty of these spaces were unlike any other human disturbed forest or meadow I had experienced. The patterns created by the mature plant communities were strong, legible, and distinct, a offering a storehouse of ideas for modern design. Juras’ paintings recall these landscapes.

To see more about Philips work, visit his website: http://www.philipjuras.com/index.htm

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