Design Page 1
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When we create a design and determine plant selection for our landscape plantings, our goal is to create as much interest as possible. First, we do this by utilizing various design elements. More importantly, we understand the plants as individuals (their individual characteristics – flowers, fall color, etc.) and then how they operate in their overall relationship between other plants in the design.
There are several ways to which we can accomplish our goals to maximize interest in your landscape. The first is through the shape of the beds. By having some dynamic, curved shaped beds, we can alter the different kinds of plants from locations that call for specimen or single plantings to transition plants to other mass plantings guiding the eye towards a feature or away from something. Having a straight bed following, for instance, a house line, limits the interest we can create, for it is a 
static landscape feature. Though this kind of design might be appropriate for certain kinds of architectural and period style gardens.
In addition, we create interest in the beds by changing size and shapes of the plants. This concept is also called scale. Scale refers to the relative size of plants to each (a tree should be taller than a shrub) and the size of the plants as it relates to both the size of the landscape bed and house or building structure.