How to: Create the garden of your dreams

7 Focal point
Tumber tries to avoid making one element an overwhelming focal point; instead, he likes to integrate the various features into the landscape. “When nothing is dominant, it's pleasant – more natural looking,” he says. A large spruce and oakleaf hydrangea (climbing up the pillar) provide a natural flow, pulling the eye toward the taller canopy of trees in the distance.

8 Moods
Different parts of a garden should offer different moods. To evoke a meditative quality, Tumber included quiet ponds on either side of the gazebo. An underwater pump silently circulates water without creating ripples; elsewhere water rushes down a series of cascades, but here the mood is calming.