A Border With a Strong Beginning

Some gardens already contain the element that should lead the design.  
In this Devon border, the existing dogwood became the anchor for a new planting direction. Rather than erase what was already working, the design starts there and lets the rest of the border gather around it.  
The interest comes from the relationship between the anchor, the surrounding planting and the way the border changes through the seasons. A strong beginning can make a garden feel settled long before every space is filled.  
This is one of the questions I return to when looking at an existing garden: what is already giving the space its character, and how can the planting make that quality more visible?  
Considered Garden develops planting plans and custom garden directions for spaces that need a clearer point of view.