Linda_A: If its helpful - Most of the time when I am laying down layers of things I think to myself - about 20 times "This looks stupid" 95% of the time I push through it and it winds up being really cool by the time I finish
The BEST one I have is this: Second life by default is flat and pristine. Often what makes it look kind of wrong is that it is too manicured and needs a bit of clutter - so if you are sitting in traffic or taking a walk, look around you, even very manicured gardens and yards have imperfections simply because you are in organic space.
So even bringing in a shrub into a pile of rocks, a tuft of uneven grass at the base of a building or some deadfall under a tree can make such a GIANT difference in our spaces in SL
Thats part of why I've been trying to do little ground cover things like these that can be as in your face - or as subtle as you want, just by sinking them into the ground a little or tucking them into gravel etc