Trees & Plants
As schedules become busier and more complex clients are looking for low to no maintenance and more simple option such as the use of low maintenance evergreens. Since evergreens keeps their foliage all year, they are perfect for year round interest. While other deciduous plants and perennials lose their foliage in the fall, evergreens remain full and can even morph to a more intense color with the temperature drop. A boring line of dark green evergreen shrubs can evolve into a point of interest when paired with the introduction of bright yellow and steel blue evergreen specimens. Along with year round interest, specialty evergreens require no maintenance. You want to spend time enjoying your outdoor space, not maintaining it.
Landscape
Consider boulders and natural stone as opposed to concrete block. Not only do they serve as excellent visual points of interest, introducing boulders into the landscape provides structure and framework to the gardens. The use of boulders versus a complete concrete block wall is not only more cost effective but also far more visually appealing. A well done landscape reflects the re-creation of nature. Less is More. The use of repeated themes throughout the gardens as opposed to the arboretum look with one of this and one of that with more of tailored look. Plantings should be placed in groupings while being repeated subtly throughout the space. If you have to ask if a plant is a weed or a perennial than it does not go in the garden. Plantings should always stay in a neat, compact form and never reach a point a point where they are messy and unmanageable.
