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The basics of garden design are quite simple. Gardens are meant to be peaceful areas in which to regroup with nature. Culinary gardens, such as the vegetable garden and the kitchen herb garden, provide a sense of achievement and confidence to the gardener as well as a source of sustenance. Flower gardening is a great way to relieve stress and to bring peace and harmony to the soul. Therefore, when you decide to design a garden for your backyard, the design can be anything your heart and soul desire.

Bending the Rules of Basic Design

The design and layout of most gardens falls into several basic categories.

• Straight lines with conforming rows. This design is perfect for the vegetable garden but not as appealing for a flowerbed.
  
• Wandering borders. Perfect for a flowerbed. Flowers of different heights, colors and temperaments can be blended together nicely.
  
• Groupings. Sets of three or more like plants are used to provide accent color. This is a great way to incorporate bulbs.
  
• Container gardening. Containers of various sizes can be grouped together on patios, porches and stairs, spread haphazardly throughout a terrace garden or strategically placed at the edge of the neighboring forest.
  
• Permanent borders. Permanent borders are those areas such as rock gardens or fenced-in spaces. Herbs produce hundreds of seeds and tend to get out of hand quickly unless controlled in fenced-in areas, and low, trailing plants are exceptionally beautiful when placed in rock gardens and encouraged to tumble over rocks, creating new and ever-changing dimensions and textures.