Perfect symmetry in a Montreal garden

How to create harmony
To create a garden that’s both formal and informal, Stuart Webster of Webster Design recommends the following:

• Create a focal point that’s in keeping with the directional axes of your house and property lines.
• 
Divide the space in your yard carefully and systematically. This doesn’t have to be difficult or elaborate, it just has to be thoughtful and planned.
• 
Keep stone joints and walkways 
neat and proportional. Use them 
to guide the eye through the space.
• 
Plant with four seasons of colour 
and texture in mind.
• 
Use large brush strokes of colourful low-maintenance perennials to 
lend an informal touch.
• 
Emphasize the vertical elements 
of a house, such as columns, with evergreens. They’ll also provide interest in winter.
• 
Plan outward from the garden’s centre. The further you go from 
the centre, the more relaxed your plantings can be.