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I live on the edge of Druid Hills in Atlanta. It along with a few other spaces in Atlanta were some of Frederick Law Olmstead's last planned projects. His firm and son had to complete them after he died, and their were some financial holdups.
I love his genius, of a layered natural look, with a great care and planning, and his attention to detail for drainage, individual locations. I also loved how he could vary different areas, stye wise without disparity.
When our condos were built, they followed the neighborhood. Now different clueless yo yo's get on our board and they try to cookie cutter the place up with overdefined pine straw beds (virtually nothing in them) . Then they plant defined patches of ground cover in triangular or square beds. It looks very Post Properties generic cheap apartments. It drives me crazy. Most folks really do not know the difference.
We live in a jewel of a neighborhood, but are not protected by the historic society, because of dumb condo boards, and they are slowly, methodically destroying our landscaping. They just throw out any old cheap bush. When a bush dies, they don't even replace with the same bush in a series of like bushes.
The beauty of a natural look as opposed to an over designed, cookie cutter look, is it is more forgiving and more pleasant as an environment. It is Peaceful.
Study up on a few famous Landscape Architects by Internet, and get a general idea of theory, and then go for it.