i think gardens look best when broken up into different area. Hence I have a paved part, a decked part and a shingle part, plus the area where the cat run is. In terms of plants wot Gillian said! Mine is full of grasses, ferns and bamboos, and acers. Plus I then also do the odd pot of fuschias, geraniums etc to brighten things up. Whats in the pots depend on the season