The world of landscape design is more than arranging trees, placing pathways, and shaping outdoor spaces. It is a profound act of creation—bringing harmony between human intention and the raw beauty of nature. If this journey is your calling, it’s not just about technical know-how; it’s about discovering your creative identity and growing into something greater.
Like all creative pursuits, landscape design can be framed through the 8 Pages of SketchBooking, a structured approach that helps artists and designers build ideas from seed to completion. Let’s explore how each page aligns with your evolution in landscape design—and beyond, toward the divine act of creation.
Page 1: The Blank Space (Awareness and Intention)
Before a landscape can be designed, it must first be imagined, there is nothing—just space, raw potential. This is where you pause and set your intention. Recall that Yama, in the context of SketchBooking, represents the foundational principles—awareness, ethics, and the deep why behind the journey. The first in 8 Pages of SketchBooking might be summarized in three points.
- What calls you to landscape design?
- What values do you want your spaces to embody? Sustainability, balance, refuge, or storytelling?
- What feeling do you want to evoke in those who step into your designed spaces?
- How does your design philosophy honor the land, the environment, and those who experience it?
Just like facing a blank page in your sketchbook, this is the moment of pure potential—the space where you define your creative intent. Remember - that in sketchbooking, the first page is often intimidating, but it is also sacred—it is where vision is born.
Page 2: Rough Sketches (Observing and Researching)
The second step is gathering knowledge. Before you can shape a space, you must understand it. You begin studying nature, ecosystems, topography, and human interaction with space. Just as an artist studies anatomy before drawing a figure, a landscape designer studies the land and its history, and as applied by the Page of Niyama, represented by dedicated study, research, and discipline—the practice of observing nature, understanding landscapes, and deepening your knowledge are the active practice at this stage of design.
- Research famous landscapes and architectural gardens—from Kyoto’s Zen gardens to Olmsted’s Central Park.
- Explore different design philosophies—Japanese gardens, modernist landscapes, or urban green spaces.
- Sketch natural forms, plant structures, and the ways land and water shape each other over time.
- Walk through different environments, noting what works and what feels off in the space.
In sketchbooking, this page is full of loose explorations, ideas, and visual references.
This phase in SketchBooking is about loosening up—collecting references, experimenting, and letting ideas flow.
Page 3: Building the Structure (Concept and Vision)
Once you've absorbed knowledge, it's time to create a framework—a concept plan that shapes your space. In considering Asana, the page of physical practice and discipline, we see how it corresponds to creating the structural foundation of your design. This is where ideas become tangible frameworks.
- Start sketching with basic forms: Where will the pathways go? How will people move through the landscape?
- What will be the dominant focal point? A water feature, an ancient tree, a sculptural element?
- How does scale, proportion, and balance influence your composition?
- How does light interact with the space at different times of day?
As in sketchbooking, this is where you build conceptual layouts—the backbone of your design, ensuring that every element has purpose and placement.
Page 4: Expanding Details (Function and Aesthetic)
Look at Pranayama, the regulation of breath and life force, as it mirrors the stage where we refine the flow of energy in a design. A successful landscape isn’t just visually pleasing—it feels alive, balanced, and responsive to natural elements. A great landscape isn't just beautiful—it is functional. This is where you define materials, plant choices, and how space is used.
- What is the climate? The soil conditions?
- How does the space breathe?
- How does wind, sunlight, and water move through it?
- Will the space be wild and natural or sculpted and geometric?
- Will you use native plants for sustainability or introduce a mix of species for contrast?
- Are the materials harmonious? Does the space encourage stillness or activity?
Like breath in yoga, landscape design must have a natural rhythm, guiding visitors through an experience effortlessly.
Page 5: The Emotional Connection (Narrative and Experience)
Every great design tells a story. What emotions should this landscape evoke? In order to properly contemplate this consider Pratyahara as the limb of turning inward—engaging senses, memory, and deeper meaning. In design, this is where you refine the emotional impact:
- Should it inspire awe, like the towering trees of an ancient forest?
- Should it feel tranquil, like a Zen garden designed for meditation?
- Or should it feel inviting and communal, like a plaza where people naturally gather?
In sketchbooking, this page is about bringing meaning into the design—aligning vision with emotion. It's where design goes beyond form and enters soulful experience. It is also where you, as a designer, step back and see the space holistically.
It is in your sketchbook where the work begins to resonate—it’s no longer just a collection of ideas but a vision with depth and feeling.
Page 6: Refining the Blueprint (Finalizing and Presenting)
Now, the design is nearly complete, and it’s time to solidify the details. Applying Dharana, the practice of concentration and focus, we align with finalizing the technical details of a landscape design.
- Create scaled drawings and 3D models (digital or physical).
- Think about construction—how will it be built, and what are the constraints?
- Prepare client presentations—your design should be clear, visually compelling, and well-documented.
This stage is crucial in sketchbooking—where clarity emerges from the mess of early ideas.
Page 7: Execution (Bringing the Vision to Life)
Dhyana, the state of deep meditation and flow, is where the landscape finally takes physical form: the build phase.
- Collaborate with contractors, landscape crews, and architects.
- Oversee the placement of trees, stones, water features, and ensure everything aligns with the vision.
- Adapt—sometimes nature has other plans, and adjustments must be made.
In sketchbooking, this is when rough sketches turn into final, polished work, and where the practice becomes real—where design transcends theory and becomes experience.
Page 8: Reflection and Evolution (Mastery and the Divine)
Once the landscape is complete, it lives beyond you. Samadhi, the ultimate stage of integration and mastery, represents the moment where the landscape is complete—yet it continues to grow, evolve, and transform over time. Plants will grow, seasons will shift, and visitors will create their own experiences within it.
This is where the journey transcends design and moves into something greater—the act of shaping the world. The best designers aren’t just planners; they are storytellers, artists, and stewards of the land.
In sketchbooking, this is the final page—where the cycle completes, only to begin again with the next great idea - on a brand new page of Yama.
A Step Toward the Godly
By aligning this journey with the 8 Limbs of SketchBooking, we see that creativity isn’t just about making things—it’s about becoming something greater through the process. Each design, each sketch, each project is a step toward mastery, self-discovery, and transformation.
Like the ancient temples built in alignment with the stars or the gardens designed as reflections of paradise, your work shapes reality itself.
If this is your calling, step forward with intention, curiosity, and a deep respect for the land.
Sketching Exercise: "Design a Space of Transformation"
Using the 8 Pages of SketchBooking, sketch an outdoor space that represents a personal transformation—a place where someone might experience awe, peace, or renewal.
- Consider the materials, the light, the pathways, and the emotions evoked.
- What makes this place sacred or special?
- How does it connect to something greater than itself?
Closing Thought
Whether you are a beginner or experienced in design, landscape architecture, or the creative arts, this journey is an evolution. Every space you shape, whether a park, garden, or even a small corner of a backyard, is an opportunity to step toward something greater—toward the Godly act of creation.
Your next landscape is waiting. Your next blank page is ready.
Now, let’s sketch. 🎨🌿
