Specialty Gardening: Can a flower bed be too big?, 1 by critterologist

critterologist wrote:
Ooh, a blank canvas! :-)

It's definitely a good idea to think in terms of breaking up that expanse a little. Incorporate a bench, maybe a birdbath or a fountain... even a little pond...

If you read about designing raised beds, they advise making them only 4 or 5 feet wide, so you can reach in to the center... so it's a good idea to think in terms of being able to easily reach everything from a path or a stepping stone. Mark out where your major paths will be, and then place a few stepping stones (or even just stick markers in) in other areas while you're planting... that way, you won't find yourself with a nicely planted bed and no place to put a handy stepping stone.

Also think about the main "bones" of this area... what do you want for visual impact? A hedge of lavender along the driveway? A lovely weeping mound of Japanese maple or evergreen at the corner of the driveway and front walk? I'd put a taller element or two in there somewhere, but probably not right up against the front walk... trees have a way of growing wider than you expect them to, and I think it keeps an "open" feel to have shorter plants near walkways.

I pulled your drawing into paint shop for a moment, just to give you one idea of how this could go... It starts taking shape in your imagination when you start drawing designs on paper... at least that's how it works for me!