I found a couple photos in a Martha Stewart magazine that really show what my dream yard looks like. It’s very green with lots of texture, shape and size. There’s a woodsy feeling, but it’s landscaped. Thomas noted that the photos were of yards in the Northwest; I’ll have to check if they’ll grow in our area.

The article says that the plants in the photos are: oxalis magellanica, chrysosplenium macrophyllum, oriental chain fern, grassy golden hakonechloa, low-growing oak fern, Japanese white pine, pointillistic brass buttons, dark-toned Ajuga repptans,golden hakonechloa, and golden creeping Jenny.