When planning your landscape, remember to record ultimate height and width, not present size, when penciling in permanent items such as trees and shrubs. Real life requires us to leave a service area for trash cans, a place for the kids to play, or the dog to roam. If you entertain often, consider installing a patio or lanai. When the kids are gone, you can use their former play area for a sitting nook or perhaps a small pond. Harmony is achieved by constructing paths out of local materials such as coquina shells, or by echoing the material present in the house, such as brick.
Stucco homes are nicely accented by rock paths or by utilizing the new dyed mulches.
Apartment dwellers and those folks living in mobile homes can also create cozy, romantic gardens by following a few tips. Balcony gardeners can use mirrors or the technique of trompe l'oeil to create the illusion of more space. Inexpensive trellis panels screwed into the wall can support a collection of bromeliads or orchids. By placing a large mirror on the opposite wall, you can double the amount of perceived space. Placing a matching pair of potted plants both inside and outside will extend this illusion.