At Home: Design to shine

Want to make a splash with your landscaping? Trying designing around a focal point.

Choose a plant, piece of yard art or feature you love and design your garden or entry around that, suggests Lucy Hershberger, owner of Coralville-based Forever Green.

'Water features, statuary, sculptures or other yard art come to mind when we think of a focal point in the landscape, but a seating area, piece of furniture, fire pit, specimen tree or shrub can also add interest to your yard,' she says.

Your focal point should attract your attention and draw you into the yard.

Let it shine

If you have a plant in mind for the focal point of your yard, remember you want that plant to stand out. Fill the space around it in with groupings of plants which will accent your special selection, or leave open space around it covered with mulch or rock.

Every angle

Locate the focal point so it can be enjoyed from lots of angles. Think about the optics from the street, your front door, patio or deck and from inside your home.

Consider the Seasons

Remember that we have four seasons, so your focal point should have interest throughout the year. For plants, consider the blooms, fall color, form and winter interest. You can also design your beds so you have plants that are the focal point during their season to shine and then blend back into the landscape and allow another plant to stand out.

Forever Green's trained, certified and experienced staff creates landscapes that suit your needs, reflect your lifestyle and blend with the environment. Visit the garden center for plants, supplies and advice for DIY projects.

125 Forevergreen Road, Coralville; (319) 626-6770; Forevergreengrows.com