What is known as the Modernist movement in garden design evolved during the 20th century. It is well described by Jane Brown in her book The Modern Garden.
Nowadays, garden designers reflect the interests of our time: sustainability, the whole food movement, organic practices and so on.
Flowering quince and forsythia are better known for forcing but witch hazel is great too.
In the summer of 2011, I visited Bill Larkin's garden in Loogootee, Indiana, and saw 30,000 colorful annuals in bloom.