Maturity Size

• How will those shrubs you like look when they are fully grown and mature? Some plants will outgrow their space if you don't plan ahead. You don't want to plant a beautiful little evergreen beneath a window only to find several years later that the shrub has completely blocked your view.
  
  

Softening Corners

• A nice evergreen can soften the corners of your home, making it look more inviting. When choosing a shrub or small tree for this spot, find out how tall your shrub will grow. Ideally you don't want it to grow any taller than the gutter line of the house. Any taller, and the tree grows out of proportion to the home and makes it look unbalanced. You'll also have to worry about plant debris in your gutters and on your roof.
  
  

Avoid Cluttering

• Don't plant your evergreens too close together unless you want to make a formal hedge. Give each plant enough space to grow normally so you can enjoy its individual color, texture and shape as it relates to the other plants around it. Your plants may look a bit spaced out at first, but in a few years you'll have a lovely landscape design around your foundation. Look at the care tags for recommendations on how closely to plant evergreen shrubs. Plant care tags give details on how tall and wide the plant will grow. If the tag reads the plant grows 5 feet wide, space the bushes 5 feet apart.
  
  

Texture

• When choosing evergreen foundation plants, keep the foliage texture in mind. It is more visually appealing to see a variety of textures. For example, you may want to plant an evergreen magnolia with its large, broad leaves next to a rosemary bush, which has upright, needle-shaped leaves.
  
  

Color

• Despite their names, evergreens come in different colors, too. Evergreens can be found in such attractive colors as silver-green, blue, gold and just about every shade of green. Arrange your evergreens in a pleasing grouping so not only do you have a nice mixture of textures, but your eye gazes upon a range of colors as well. Plant perennials around the base of many of these evergreens to add even more color and visual interest.