That's a great idea to use the heath and heathers together - they're low maintenance and drought-resistant. Plus they just look pretty. I kept reading your first sentence as 'Heaths and Ledgers!'

I agree that the oranges bookended like that doesn't seem right - either the colors should be all balanced and symmetrical, or none of them should be. I like asymmetry, myself. Also remember that hot or bright colors advance, and cool colors recede, so you probably don't want the oranges closer to the street/viewer than the purples and the pinks. Even in the photo, the orange totally pops and grabs your eye, so they should be placed farther back. I like your combination of colors; contrasts always work really well in garden design, I think.

But then again remember that all rules were meant to be broken, so in the end, do what you think looks best! I'm just speaking in generalities.

Hmm, I hadn't thought of putting the oranges more toward the back, and purples in front. Hot colors advance, cool recede? So if orange is advancing from the back and purple is receding from the front, that creates some kind of... uh... arty effect?

Heather beds should definitely not be symmetrical, so I will avoid that in my final layout.

Maybe the rules were meant to be broken, but it seems like one should know what the rules are first, and what it means to break them. :)

Thanks for the response, iconomy!

I agree with ico. The orange is so bright,it looks like a wall around the others. I'd move it.

You will post pictures when you're done, right?

You bet. It won't look like this for a couple of years though, as the plants grow to their mature size.

After looking at the photo again, and then opening it in PS and moving the colors around, the orange in the back would be a gorgeous frame for the pinks and the purples, so yep, in this case, the rule works! I can't really tell by your photo, but of course just make sure that the plants in the back are larger than the plants in front, although the fact that they're on a slope helps with this a lot, obviously. The reason I mention it is that in your mock-up the orange plants looks stocky but not tall.

I did a mockup too, and I think it looks nice with the orange in back. Excellent suggestion!

Take two, orange in back.

It's still too symmetrical in that mockup, but I will be able to make it non-symmetrical in real life.

MUCH more pleasing! If you squint you can get a good feel for what this will look like in about 2-3 years.

Who wants to help me design a heather bed for my front yard?
Why is Heather sleeping in your front yard?

I first read it as "feather bed", my mistake.

I like Take 2,also. Great suggestion, Iconomy. This will look lovely when it's matured.