A landscape design, above, an illusion of country. Nature. Not one leaf is unconsidered. The dirt path? Part of the landscape design.
Subtle, above. Would you know a WATTLE was there if I didn't tell you? Not quite 3' high it's prunings & fallen limbs from my garden. A natural fence preventing leaves from blowing into the Woodland Walk once it's blown. 
Install paths first, THEN your plants. Flagstone path fading into woodchip path, above, amplifies the effect of moving from one garden room to another.
Repetition of plant materials, color, pots, & paths create architecture of landscapes.
Above, look close. It's same path as top pic, taken from opposite direction. DOUBLE AXIS.
Here, above/below, in Susanne Hudson's backyard.
Looking thru the gate, below, is a view from the frontyard.
Blossoms, below, each had honeybees. Wish you could hear this tree.
Notice winter's bare branches? I adore the frisson. 
And why it works.
Formal hardscape: hedges & lines contrasted with chaos of plantings + informal tree trunks.
How do you know?
The bones (evergreen structure, axis, focal point, hardscape) hold together in deepest winter, above.
I've packed solid Georgia red clay so you won't flood."
Totally designed, above. Ha, you thought it was an area 'not done'? Hardly.
From the same garden, above.
Not much, above, but loads of lushness. And little maintenance. Rich, welcoming. Don't you want to know what the inside looks like? And the garden? Already sense you would like the owner?
Oakleaf hydrangea bloom late spring, mophead hydrangea bloom early summer & summer, 'Anna Belle' hydrangea bloom summer, 'Tardiva' & 'Pee Gee' hydrangea bloom late summer to frost. Above, lacecap hydrangea.
Southern Indica Azaleas, 'George Tabor', above, bloom in spring. They stand up to drought, bugs, cold. Use Exbury azaleas too, they bloom before 'George Tabor'.
Camellia sasanqua, above, bloom in fall. Camellia japonica bloom in winter.
Landscapes designed with evergreen hedges & entries, cultivate the eye, songbirds, & increase property value. Chinese snowball, above.
Pathways should flow around your entire property, no dead ends. 'Tardiva' hydrangea blooming, above.
Use wit & whimsy in your landscape, above. Beware, CUTE, it's treacherous.
Start your landscape design from inside your home, Vanishing Threshold. Patio, above, viewed from my kitchen sink.
Design your landscape for February. It will be gorgeous all year. View, above, from my living room.
Site deciduous understory trees, crape myrtle, above, to shade your home from summer sun. Window, above, views stone terrace, below. Summer's blanket of rudbeckia gives way to smooth Tennessee gray flagstone the rest of the year.
If you're new to gardening in the South you'll adore, A Southern Garden by Elizabeth Lawrence, and, Hudson's Southern Gardening by Charles Hudson. Use your local Extension Service for specific advice to your county/state. The Garden In Winter, by Rosemary Verey is an incredible garden design book. My 5 books ( 3 on garden design, 2 on plants) are at the right, scroll down.
Chair rotted long ago. Red bud tree died slowly, rotted slowly. Great fun watching songbirds gather insects & make homes in its wood.
Instead of something like this, below.
Gravel ranges $20-$48/ton & doesn't require skilled labor. 
Roundabouts are a fabulous landscape design tool. Use where 2, or more, paths intersect.
This woman, above, was beyond ready to take her frontyard in hand. Corner lot, too big, unattractive, way too much mowing, little property value, and most importantly, it did not make her happy. (Ha, beware the woman not happy with something.) 
Grass was reduced, paths with roundabout designed, groundcovers, evergreen shrubs, & understory trees to survive drought/flood & aging in place. Aging in place? Want to be 88 with weekly garden chores? Ha, didn't think so. It's designing for unskilled labor, tough plants, and timeless beauty on axis from window views.
From the house, above, a stone roundabout anchors the view. Evergreen hollies anchor the entry path, variegated sweetflag (groundcover) surround the roundabout. 
Small roundabout, above. Notice something important about the pot, above? It doesn't HAVE to be planted.
What is wrong in this pic?
One glance, I knew. First, stain patio furnishings a shade from inside.
More important, paths. PATH GIRL created a beautiful garden but the paths weren't 'done'. A roundabout, below, radiates paths.
Gravel to the rescue. PATH GIRL shoveled her own. Edging garden beds with stone found on-site & fallen tree limbs. Not quite finished yet. Yes, dearies, part of the design, use what's at hand. 
An alcove of path with an antique marble bench &, while sitting on the bench, a pineapple, symbol of welcome, at your feet.
And the pre-built potting shed, Magnolia Hall, is steeped in gravel too.
Up to its side, adding a new sitting area.
Many weeks of shoveling then an invitation to lunch.
In the dining room a 2nd, smaller, table for games, reading or dining with a view.
Vanishing Threshold views, above & below.
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