As you might have guessed, plants are the essential components of landscape design. They contribute to a design and affect our moods by attributes such as shape, color, height and texture. Plants can be the center of attention or a pleasant cover for less attractive portions of the yard. Since plants are so important to a landscape design, we must put great thought into what plants we choose.

Some plants command immediate attention, dominating the landscape as floral focal points. These plants are known in the landscaping industry as specimen plants for their outstanding quality and representative status among their species. Other plants serve as color or textural accents in support of the specimen plant.

Such plants that uphold the essential design around the specimen plant are called foundation landscaping plants. Usually these are picked for texture and color as ground cover to draw the eye from one portion of the landscape to another.

Border plants are plants used to partition areas of a landscape. They typically use color to signal a transition between them partitions.

Whatever function you consider for your landscaping plants, climate will play a big role in deciding what plants to use. Landscape plants are described in terms of "hardiness" of vary degrees in relation to their heat or cold resistance.

This is an important matter, so consult the USDA Hardiness Zone Map, which shows average highs and lows for each region in the United States. Find your zone and selecting a landscaping plant that's right for your area's climate.

You must consider a landscape plant's need for light and water and, in addition, the type of soil it requires for optimum growth. Also, keep in mind the full size to which a plant will grow when considering the space requirements in the design plan for your landscape.

Landscape design requires that you pay equal attention to all necessities to plant life. The final product will be an inviting landscape that accentuates your home, surrounding and personality.