Your cares melt away when you enter this very private and tranquil garden through the vine-covered arbor. The designer sites an informal flagstone terrace with two seating areas in a sea of evergreen groundcover, entirely eliminating a lawn and making the garden about as carefree as it can be. Evergreens on the property border create privacy, while airy trees--selected because they cast light shade and are easy to clean up after--create a lacy overhead canopy. The overall effect is serene. A half-circle rock wall, built of small moss-covered boulders, sets off the larger of the two seating areas and gives dimension to the area. (Five moss rocks on the opposite side of the patio echo and balance the wall.) Several types of perennials spill over the top and sprout from the crevices of the wall, decorating the area with their dainty flowers and foliage and creating a soft, natural look. Large drifts of spring bulbs and other perennials make lovely splashes of color where they grow through the groundcover. Flowering shrubs--many of which also display evergreen leaves--give the garden year-round structure and interest while offering easy-care floral beauty. The lack of a lawn makes this garden especially easy to care for. The groundcover absorbs most of the leaves that drop from the deciduous trees in autumn, and the terrace can be quickly swept or blown free of leaves and debris, as needed. All you'll need to do is cut off the dead tops of the perennials once a year in late winter. You'll spend many more hours just relaxing in this backyard retreat than you will taking care of it. Since there's no lawn, you'll escape weekly lawn mowing, and will even be able to leave the garden untended during extended vacations.