Leaving them improves the fertility of the soil. Up to 40 percent of the nitrogen that a grass plant absorbs is shunted up to the growing tip. If you remove grass clippings, you are taking this nitrogen away from the lawn and its future growth. Lawns where the clippings have been removed have consistently poorer color than those where the clippings have been left to decompose. A Taylor's Guide.
Shrubs also can act as a windbreak, blocking cold air in winter and hot, drying winds in summer.
Fuchsias alone are a powerful magnet, but you might add other species for a more intricate basket bouquet with both draping and upright plants. Nasturtiums, lobelia and petunias are good choices for cascading types, while nicotianas, nemesias, annual salvias and geraniums make good fillers. They are the mainstay of certain recipes and an essential ingredient in others. In garden plots, train them to grow vertically and climb inside of tomato cages. For ponds edged with stone, bricks or wood, make a wide mulched planting bed between the edging and the lawn.