Seeds from a well drained hillside may blow into a nearby marsh and germinate, but they will not do as well as moisture loving plants, so they will never become the dominant vegetation. A garden which accepts extreme environmental conditions will be naturally unified and probably more interesting to visiting gardeners than a garden in which the gardener constantly fights against nature. Instead of trying to drain a boggy area, become a specialist in moisture-loving plants. Instead of trying to grow a lush lawn on a sand dune, become an expert in plants which do well in sandy soil. You will become more interesting as a gardener, and your garden will be more unified than most gardens which have ideal soil.
Nothing destroys unity like having too many choices.
Limitations, whether environmental or financial, can have a unifying effect on gardens, by keeping the gardener from attempting too much. If the heather is doing well, you might plant more of them. For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Kirk Johnson's Garden Design topic, please visit the Discussions page . Used under License. My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view.