There are many factors to be considered when it comes to designing the perfect landscape, but one of the most critical elements is that of balance. It is important that the landscape you design be in balance with the home, with your family, and with the surrounding environment. Achieving these goals can at times be difficult, but the rewards of achieving this balance can be very great.

In the long run, achieving this balance in your landscape will actually reduce your workload by making ongoing maintenance easier. This balanced landscape will also help to reduce problems with garden pests and common plant diseases, since the residents of the landscape will be healthier and better able to ward off any problems before they become severe.

Of course balance means many things to many people, and different landscapers and gardeners will have different ideas of what constitutes a well balanced garden. To some, a balanced garden brings to mind visions of a formal garden, complete with symmetrical shapes and topiary hedges To others, the idea of balance relates more to the balance with nature that the garden can create.

Still other gardeners and landscape designers will consider the landscape to be in balance when the colors, grouping and plant arrangements look natural and in tune with their surroundings. No matter what your idea of balance, it can be easy to spot a landscape that is out of balance.

A number of factors can cause a landscape to fall out of balance, including the inclusion of too many trees, bushes or other landscape elements in the same area. Neglected areas of the landscape, such as an overgrown walkway or a pond filled with algae, can also cause the landscape to become unbalanced.