Pergolas naturally become a focal point in backyards. The same visual interest that captures the eye also communicates to family and friends where to spend time lounging or dining outside. The more definitive purpose you have in your outdoor space, the more comfortable your guests will feel, and the more you’ll be able to make the most of the area.

Modern planting design has tended to be non-geometric and expressive. Designers have considered plants as abstract shapes and patches of color, and have used them as a foil to the geometry of Neo-Plastic and Cubist art. The inspiration for this device is uncertain but the images which can be formed by overlaying random biological patterns on a structured geometrical background are highly characteristic of modern gardens. The two possible sources for the imagery are Japanese gardens and Abstract Expressionism. The former are known to have influenced particular designers and the latter is a movement which has educated us all in the appreciation of abstract and random patterns.

Plants soften the edges of your pond, creating a seemingly endless transition from garden to pond. They also help form a balanced ecosystem, providing food and habitat for beneficial insects and wildlife. Shoreline or marginal plants grow along bodies of water and thrive in soil that is constantly soggy.