But if you break it down into vignettes it becomes manageable. All you need to remember are a few basic principles. Look for foliage types that complement each other. Generally a mix of small and large shapes that echo each other work, as well as a mix of bold foliage with fine or ferny leaves. I always like to start with the foliage because it's what you see most of the year, so I pay a lot of attention to the shapes, and even more important, to the colors .
Foliage does come in many colors .
Greens tend to have either blue tones or yellow. Or better still, use a plant with variegated foliage that combines the two colors. The colored foliage will add life to the composition even when nothing is flowering. Pay attention to color echoes. A collection of lots of different plants can be unified by repeating a few garden basics from time to time throughout the garden.