ABSTRACT
Plant materials and planting design are the essence of landscape architecture. It is what separates the profession from the architectural and engineering disciplines and more closely aligns it with the natural sciences. To truly know and understand plant materials, one must have working knowledge of botany, soils, and chemistry. In the practice of landscape architecture, plant materials are usually grouped into five main categories: trees; shrubs; vines and espaliers; ground covers; and turf grasses. Exotic plant material refers to plants that are not native to a region and, if left to their own devices, would not be capable of naturalizing in that region. Broadly defined, the three main types of desert plant material are: avoiders, tolerators, and water spenders. Slow-release and controlled-release fertilizers are gaining in popularity as they are useful for containerized and newly transplanted plant materials. All design principles that apply to architectonic elements apply to the utilization of plant materials.
