Question: I read and hear about “groups” or “clusters” of plants, but what does that mean?

Answer: Nature often grows her plants in clumps and groves. As we’re trying to achieve that natural look in modern landscapes, we, too, should avoid repeating the straight lines of our houses. By planting in curved lines, or checkerboard-style in little communities of the same species, we can get that natural look. For the record, odd numbers of plants are the most restful visually, especially when you’re dealing with comparatively small numbers of plants, for example, up to nine plants of a particular species.