First off, thanks to all of you for replying. I thought I signed up for auto-emails with each response, and when I didn't get any emails, I assumed there wasn't much interest in help. @catkim, I'm not either :) Actually, it's in transition. We had a Blue Spruce as the anchor, and it was too large, blocking the view to and from our house. We had it removed, leaving a discombobulated mess. Quick -- very quick -- research suggests the Norfolk Island Pine won't be hardy in my area. The Windmill Palm is an element we plan to use in our backyard, as I think it will look entirely out of place in out front yard. @desertdance, thanks for the ideas. I love the surfboard idea, and the chair/umbrella idea definitely will give it the right feel. @lyfia, great question. I think we're looking for a rustic cottage-type nautical/beach theme more than tropical. So, looking at your pictures, I'd say two and three are about right. Of course, I want more than just blade grasses. To sum up my thoughts: think Red Lobster. I realize it's commercial and stereotypical -- but that's kind of where we are heading with this. @duluthinbloomz4, I'm in Johnstown, PA, which is about 2 hours east of Pittsburgh. Closest body of Water is Lake Erie roughly 4 hours north :) That's why I would like to keep the front yard basic, not getting to advanced in a nautical look, while using some more common nautical ideas in the back. As for your photo search, this is a lot of what I'm thinking of/looking for. @All, Thanks again for the help. I'm not short of ideas, but I think my biggest concern is plant selection and placement to give this a semi-authentic look without over or undercrowding. I've found some garden plans at the Better Homes and Gardens web site, but I can't seem to find plans elsewhere. Again, what's most important to me is the plants, as I have plenty of other ideas, which I'll list below: - A small, rustic boardwalk leading from the edge of the garden up to the pond. - A small "dock" that sits at the edge of the pond with some pilings and rope - Chicken scratch (oyster shells, etc) as a substrate in certian areas to be highlighted - An old, blue rowboat placed on an angle with flowers pouring out the side Thanks again, everyone!

While I think that the "FAQ" as outlined by swanoir was presented tongue in cheek ('the humus'), many of the subsequent comments and/or links to threads that could/should be included in a FAQ were presented in a more serious tone. And maybe they do make sense as a foundation to a real LD forum FAQ. But I've also sensed something else in these comments that may contribute to the apparent lack of communication between new posters seeking advice and those that regularly frequent this forum and offer it. And that is that the long checklist provided by Miss R must be (or should be) answered in detail before posting. Well, of course not! But it is definitely something worth reviewing and giving some thought to. This checklist, or something very similar, is what most designers utilize when first meeting with a prospective client. It gives them a feeling for what the client wants to do with the property, how they intend to use it, what they hope to get out of it and how much effort (time/$$) are they are intending to put into it. Hopefully, reviewing an outline or checklist such as this could help to refine and focus some of those blank slate questions and even educate those new posters totally unfamiliar with the process the degree of complexity, the number of variables and exactly what is involved in the formulation of a landscape design. Even DIY landscape texts intended for the homeowner with no previous design or landscaping experience offer similar checklists to get one started thinking about the process. Obviously, this is overkill for those questions that are more issue-specific, but I think very appropriate for those that are much broader and far less focused.

Congrats on the new home! It is definitely looking better with your current work. Here are some random thoughts that occurred to me while looking at your various photos. I'm interested in seeing the photos Yardvaark requested, and also one that clearly shows the entrance from the sidewalk, when standing directly out from the door. I am another who wouldn't paint the brick since it involves increased maintenance, especially since you have chosen low-maintenance hardie board siding, but you are the one who will have to deal with it. However, I would wait to do this until you have worked out a planting scheme since it may turn out that the current brick color makes a better backdrop for the plants than the light color. Once you have a plan, then if you still feel it will look best, you can do the whitewash before actually doing the plantings. As others have said, I think one of your biggest challenges will be to find a way to make your almost hidden entrance easily seen by visitors. So you will need to keep that in mind with whatever you decide to do with landscaping. For instance, planting an evergreen at the left house corner may hinder the visibility of the entrance from some angles. IME, planting along the driveway edge won't prevent folks from driving off the edge, it will just mean that your plants get driven on. It also presents an issue with where folks walk when they get out of the car; if you have plantings lining the drive, and the cars fill the drive, there isn't anywhere to walk, so grass or a walkway from the street to the door might be your best choice for the driveway edge. Soaker hoses on a timer or with you turning them on as needed will help with keeping things watered. Since they go under the mulch, they won't be visible. Getting the timing right will need to be worked out based on what you plant and your soil, but here (with similar rainfall) I usually don't need to do much if any watering on established, mulched gardens. Rather than just getting plant ideas on line, go to the Chicago Botanic Garden, which is world class and grows research plots specifically to figure out what plants grow well and look good (disease free, etc.) in your area. Go often, like every 2 weeks so you can see what looks good at different times of year. Take photos of plants and their labels so you know what to look for when you have a plan. As for the mulch and paver edging dilemma, I might just add a light layer of a mulch color you like for now, with perhaps some annuals for color, either in the ground or in large pots. Your ultimate plan may have a bed that looks quite different, and once you have a plan of what the planting area will look like and what types of planting and hardscape changes you will plan to make, then you can remove mulch and edging. It just seems a bit of a waste of your time and energy to do much with this area for now. Early fall is a great time to plant, so if you don't get things planned and planted this spring, you can do prep this summer once the plan is in place and plant in September. The annuals will add interest for the summer so it doesn't look so stark.

Or even try googling "big planters with shrubs" or "big planters with perennials." At least you could get some ideas of what look you like, then try to find plants that fit the bill. Nothing wrong with skip laurels, IMHO, if that's what you like. I'd try to find a plant that naturally stays the size I want without pruning. But I hate pruning. I love the magic carpet spirea for hedges, but not evergreen. But a lot of the season they have something interesting going on. I've also had good luck with dwarf varieties of arborvitae staying relatively small.