• Shades of purple in a garden create a contemplative mood.Colorful Purple Petunias image by Jorge Moro from Fotolia.com
  
  Landscape design doesn't need to be overwhelming. Simple projects can be less formidable and more enjoyable if you begin with a small area and focus on the concept of color, specifically the colors that please you. However, choosing the plants to use involves more than color choice. A concrete plan is key. Consider a plant's light preference, mature size and hardiness to your area, as well as the aesthetics of texture and shape. Consult gardening books, magazines and online sources to fine-tune your plan.
  
  

Front Yard

• C. Colston Burrell of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden recommends injecting biodiversity into the standard front yard. Traditional foundation plantings of evergreen shrubs can be infused with color using annuals and perennials. For shady front yards, plant globe arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) and intersperse with the yellow Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra "Aureola"). To cool down the yellow, plant lavender impatiens along the edges. Use the silver-tinged grey owl juniper (Juniperus virginiana "Grey Owl") along a sunny foundation. Intersperse orange-leaved heucheras such as "Caramel." Cool the palette by using a chartreuse annual sweet-potato vine (Ipomoea batatas) in front.
  
  

Driveway

• The intersection of the front lawn with the top of the driveway doesn't have to be completely manicured. Cut a small area out of the lawn and plant a swath of low-growing annuals. For sunny spots, use dwarf yellow marigolds, purple ageratum or spreading hot-pink petunias. A single variety or a mix of impatiens works well for the shade.
  
  

Deck

• Usually in a full sun exposure, a deck has two areas to consider when adding plants. At ground level, use hardy re-blooming roses, such as the patented series of Knockout roses. Colors range from a vivid red to white and varieties have either single or double flowers. On the deck, use decorative containers filled with annuals such as hot-pink geraniums, cascading blue petunias and dusty miller. For a vivid blue, try the blue and black salvia, which comes into its own in the midsummer.
  
  

North Side

• The lower light levels of the north side of the house are ideal for cool colors derived from foliage. Valerie Easton of Fine Gardening quotes Gertrude Jekyll's observation that green is overlooked as a color. Varieties of hosta offer many shades of green, yellows and variegation to give brightness to a shady area. Plant ferns that will naturalize, such as the hay-scented fern (Dennstaedia punctiloba).
  
  

Mailbox

• A mailbox can host a small garden. Medium-size hosta, such as the variegated "Patriot," add definition in a shady area and can handle roadside conditions. Compact ornamental grasses such as blue fescue can be interspersed with marigolds or geraniums around a mailbox in the full sun.
  
  

Lamppost

• Clematis is a traditional sun-loving vine to train around a lamppost. The dark purple clematis "Jackmanii" blooms in July and sporadically until September. "Hagley Hybrid" is a pink, summer-flowering clematis that grows six to eight feet. Plant the yellow-gold Stella de Oro day lilies (Hemerocallis "Stella de Oro") around the base of the clematis to keep its roots cool. The tropical, hot-pink Mandevilla vine is an annual choice that grows quickly. In a shady area, encircle the lamppost with a green and gold variegated hosta such as "Wide Brim."
  
  

Island Bed

• Carve a small area out of your lawn for an island bed. A site in the full sun allows for more plant choices as well as a brighter color palette. Bob Hyland of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden advocates the mixed border style of trees and shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses and annuals. Use specimen evergreens such as the dwarf mugho pine (Pinus mugo). The golden thread-leaf coreopsis "Zagreb" complements blue veronica (Veronica spicata "Goodness Grows"). An ornamental grass such as maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis "Gracillimus") adds height. For a shot of color, Valerie Easton recommends the "Tropicanna" canna lily variety. The foliage is striped with red and chartreuse with a vivid orange flower.