Try asking in the Landscape Design Forum. It is much more active. Also, when you post there add a pic or two of the area.

tj

Think of your lawn as water. Gently flowing water that may have a pool or two. The shape of your lawn has priority over the shape of the beds. With that in mind, designing becomes a lot easier. Don't have trees planted by themselves in the middle of the lawn. It disrupts the flow and makes the design look disjointed. If you cutout beds in the lawn they will look just like cutouts. That's what usually happens.