The junipers I was referring to would be the carpeting types, 'Blue Rug' or 'Motherlode' or similar, which creep along the ground if it is flat but grow over the edge and down a wall when they encounter it. I suppose if your wall is really high you could consider clematis or other vines to go over the edge, but you'd have to be able to get at the wall from below to do annual maintenance. If you took Saypoint's idea of the trellises, which I can also visualize being quite nice, the vines could also tumble right down the other side quite fetchingly. It could look pretty cool. Other than that I'm not sure what plants are usually used to go over walls... I've seen some but can't name them all. They're usually not so much vining as mat-forming; they just form their mats vertically! I was thinking that smaller arching grasses, like Carex testacea or dipsacea, would just soften the edge of the wall; of course they woudn't really droop further. Those root systems would probably be no threat, but the bigger Miscanthus types would concern me there. Their bases tend to become quite massive, I think. It's funny to debate whether three feet is much space or not, but I garden on a city lot that is only 25 ft wide and most of my beds are 1-2 feet wide, never mind 3... that seems like oodles of room to me! I simply prune a fair amount so that my shrubs only consume the headspace I want them to have, and so they have a high canopy and I can plant under and around them. Of course the other thing about this project is that it won't be written in stone. Why not try a sort of hedge of the rhodos and hinokis and see how it looks; you can always add or amend in future years. KarinL

Hi Mangomoon, I'm not an expert in this stuff but i did build 2 concrete paver walkways a few years ago. Here's what I remember from my research back then and my experience. "Traditional" brick is made from clay. Good for walls and fireplaces but has some drawbacks for walkways and patios. One thing is that they can chip pretty easily. Modern "pavers" are made from concrete and are designed for strength and durability as walkways and patios. They are available in many different shapes, sizes and colors, even "brick" look-a-likes. There are many manufacturers and costs vary widely. Poured concrete is a relatively inexpensive way to create a patio or walkway but doesn't offer many design options. However, one can add color to concrete and there are concrete "stamps" that can be used to create a faux stone or brick look. Bricks and concrete pavers are usually installed on a base of sand and gravel. Sand is usually used to fill the gaps between joints. As such, they do allow some water permeability. Still, it is recommended that the project be gently sloped to allow water to run-off away from the nearest building structure. This will be more critical with poured concrete. Heat retention will depend largely on the color chosen. Lighter will be cooler. I'd be surprised of there is much of a difference between similarly colored bricks or concrete but I don't know for sure. I think brick and concrete will have the same "hardness". The skill level required to build a simple square patio with pavers isn't too high. It is more physically demanding than anything else. And, most of the work is in the base preparation. i.e. excavating, getting it level, put in a gravel base, then put in a level sand base. Indeed, the better the base preparation, the better the final job. If you use a concrete paver, installation is easy. If you don't have to make any cuts, no special tools are required. I'd suggest looking at some of the manufacturer sites for concrete pavers, if you think you might like to go that way. I used Unilock brand (others are Bolduc, Belgard, Nicolock...just Google "interlocking pavers"). Good luck...

I don't consider a grill on a patio an eye sore. But a grill off the patio in the dirt or mud? Yes! Why don't you extend the patio and give the grill a permanent place to "live." Along the garage wall between the two windows at the left side seems a reasonable place.

Pretty much the main purpose of flowers is bees, though some are worse about it than others and a few are not very bad. You may want to also consider groundcover plants that are more about greenery, though some have annual bloom for a period of time. And saying that you "have no clue where to begin" [planting flowers] is a clue that you might be overwhelmed by having to care for 150' of flower bed. You might want to have a combination of groundcover, perennials and some annuals. First and foremost you must get rid of any weeds in the bed. Any pieces of live weed roots will resprout and you'll have a weed infestation in no time. You can either dig out any weeds, or spray them with Round-up and plant a week later. As an ongoing maintenance chore, you'll need to remove weeds, at least weekly for a while, or they'll move in and take over. Once the bed is planted, Preen (a pre-emergent herbicide that is applied like shaking salt from a salt shaker) according to the manufacturer's schedule and applied to the finish planted bed, is helpful for keeping new weed seeds from germinating. Annuals, many of which can be raised from seed, is the most colorful and must be replanted yearly. Groundcover and perennials are permanent and come back every year. But they generally don't bloom as long as annuals. Daylilies would be a good perennial to use, especially 'Stella d' Oro' as it is a long blooming variety. It's not too bad on bees. Liriope would be a good perennial if it grows in your area. It comes in green and variegated versions. Petunias would be good annuals to buy as bedding plants. Marigolds are easy to grow from seed. Figure out where you want to place the permanent blocks of plants. Fill in the rest or what you're unsure about with annuals. Personally, I'd stop being overly concerned about bees. Gardeners are around them for our whole lives and don't get stung. Like our mother said, "don't bother them and they won't bother you."