There are two loose forms of landscaping that many people might follow today. These are formal and informal.

Formal Landscape Designs

Formal garden arrangements are aptly named because you can see order in them. The landscaper takes the time to make sure that all of the plants and features go well together in a complementing way bringing out the best in the landscape.

Landscapers will often use geometric patterns in their formal landscaping designs. Using low hedges and rock walls to separate the flower beds, they create a sense of definition and order to and other wise unorganized landscape that is very appealing to the beholder.

Professional landscapers will often use water features along with wooden bridges or stone paths in their formal designs. To really give the landscape a sense of elegance many landscapers will use stone. It is a really nice touch. Because of the water features and wooden structures formal garden landscaping is most often used in larger applications.

Informal Landscaping

When tackling an informal landscape you might be surprised that it isn't as easy as you thought. Jumbling plants together is one thing but actually having them look like something special and unique is entirely a different matter.

A good professional landscape designer will have to know what the property owners are after in their informal design and more or less guide the garden to the way they want it to be over a course of time. Kinda like natural growth with a designers touch.

By letting the plants in your informal garden grow in a natural way, without pruning them to death, the landscaper lets nature do some designing of its own. It may not look as neat as formal landscaping but it has it's own sense of style and beauty that only nature can create.

If you are going to start a large landscaping project take the time to enjoy the process. Have fun with it, your imagination is about the only limit you might have and they have computer programs to help you with that even. You get to enjoy the benefits of having a beautifully landscaped yard when it is all done so make the most of it while you are in the creation process.