Try our tips and design suggestions to get maximum impact in your garden.

It’s contrasted (in color and texture) by a planting ofblue fescue(Festuca’Elijah Blue').

Repeat Colors and Textures

Planting one of everything gives your garden a hodgepodge look.

easy landscaping idea bold red yellow green colored flowers

Brian Gomsak.Credit: Brian Gomsak

Avoid that by reusing the same colors, shapes, or plant varieties all around your landscape.

The shape of the false cypress, in turn, is a repeat of theJapanese maplenext to the deck.

Contrast Bold Colors

One of the mostbasic, easy landscaping ideasis to create contrasts.

deck and grass path to seating

Brian Gomsak.Credit: Brian Gomsak

Together, the colors are much more effective than when used alone.

Add a Few Whimsical Plants

Enhance what plants do naturally.

Espalier is a perfect example of this.

landscaped grass leading up to deck

Brian Gomsak.Credit: Brian Gomsak

Here, for example, a simple climbing rose goes from ordinary to extraordinary with careful training and pruning.

Here, thenatural feel of lawn and cut flagstonesmakes an eye-catching contrast against smooth Mexican beach pebbles and gravel.

Frame Your Garden with Hedges and Fences

Add interest to your yard with structures.

rock wall framing garden path

Laurie Black Photography.Credit: Laurie Black Photography

For example, use low fences or hedges to divide spaces andgive each space or room its unique identity.

Plus, the structures add interest all year long.

It’s easy to use them to make an impact, especially if you selectvarieties that have colorful foliage.

multiple-layered garden with pot

Credit: Laurie Black Photography

Go a step further with some creative pruning.

Make island beds extra effective by adding height to the center.

Too few gardeners consider mixing containers into their beds and borders.

white fence covered with vine

Brian Gomsak.Credit: Brian Gomsak

Large, colorful glazed or plastic containers add a bright splash, even without blooms.

Mix and Match Plant Textures

Our eyes are attracted to color, and many gardeners stop there.

But an easy landscaping idea is to add another layer of interest to your garden by incorporating texture.

back yard japanese garden

Jon Jensen Photography.Credit: Jon Jensen Photography

This landscaping idea features tidy mounds of blue fescue punctuated by an upright pyramid ofColorado blue spruceand dwarfblack pine.

A pottedvariegated yuccarepeats the texture of the grass and adds a new color.

Break Up Monotony With Boldly Shaped Plants

Embrace plant shapes and use them in your landscape.

formal garden with palm trees

Ginny Weiler.Credit: Ginny Weiler

Plant Shades of Green

Using a variety of shades of green helps add depth to your plantings.

Blue-greens add a softness and almost always harmonize well with other shades.

Front Yard Landscaping for a Warm Welcome

formal garden with curving hedge

Richard Felber.Credit: Richard Felber

well planted entryway multiple bushes

Jon Jensen Photography.Credit: Jon Jensen Photography

landscaped grasses on slope

Edmund Barr Photography.Credit: Edmund Barr Photography

garden bed with blue pot

Peter Krumhardt.Credit: Peter Krumhardt

lush garden path with evergreens

Jon Jensen Photography.Credit: Jon Jensen Photography

lush garden path with evergreens

Jon Jensen Photography.Credit: Jon Jensen Photography

sweeping lawn with trees and garden beds

Credit: David McDonald