I personally think this could be a very beautiful area with alot of work of course, because to be honest it is a mess...the whole curves and lines etc... is just weird. First of all i would forget a vegetable garden there. Then what i would do is take all those land scaping timbers and have a big marshmallow roast :). Then i would somehow make a creek running under that bridge to the pond with little pebbles lining the creek, others may be able to help with that idea because without seeing further down the deck area, i cant think of a stopping point as to where the creek would end or how to go about keeping water flowing in it, i do know there are people here that can think of something very economical. Then i would jerk those ugly shrubs out around the waterfall and plant some nice rounded bushes, with hosta's, maybe a couple ornamental grasses etc... or at least trim them up considerably where they look better, although i like the first idea better. Like someone said amend that soil in that area first, i would amend the area that is around the pond and extending down the creek wide enough to plant a flower garden in. Then i would tear out all those flower boxes at the base of the bridge and put a gate matching the rod iron short amount of fencing you got there and then extend that fencing completely around to meet the corner of the deck. Add stepping stones (I would use creek rock like is laid around your pond) from the gate to maybe a bench in the corner and to the deck to tie it all in. Plant whatever you want in the areas with plenty of perennials and leave space to add beautiful annuals each year and mulch well. I would personally plant a big fat hosta where that square is cut in your deck just after the bridge and where all those shrubs to the left in the picture are i would pull those out and add a flower bed there with maybe a area in the middle to exit off the deck, i think a couple creek rock would be fine there as well. I would also take up all those concrete pavers and add the creek rock there as well with some bench seating at the end as well with some flowers on both sides to add interest to that area...you could even do potted plants down that area. Stain the bridge and the deck and walahhh, lol i know sounds like a ton of work and money...but maybe in stages. Alot of it could be done very cost effective. Anyway that is just what popped into my head, even though it is not always screwed on right lol. Probably not even the question asked but i just pictured it and could not resist putting it down, actually it says to view it as a blank canvas and minus the vegetable garden i did :).

Sound, smell. I noticed that Mel specified "visual interest" in her original post, but it seems to me that many people are instinctively looking for non-visual sources of interest when they consider the problem proposed. I think this may tie in to what I was saying on the "mood" thread. Sometimes the visual element isn't really what creates interest. Even the bird watching, while it certainly relies on sight, seems to me to be engaging on an *intellectual* level, rather than purely a visual one. Static pictures really just aren't very stimulating. Even the loveliest static view will become boring if you're forced by circumstance (like being bed-ridden due to a long illness) to look at nothing else for a long period of time. This subject is rather near to my heart, as I was recently laid up in bed for a long time. My bedroom window is on the lee side of my house. When I was ill, I found myself wishing that it looked out instead to the windy side of the property. Motion makes a view less static and far more stimulating. Wind makes interesting noises, and wind through trees can create moving shadow plays on the walls of the room. The sound of the rain on the windows and roof is much louder on the windy side, and when the water hits the windows, it creates interesting rivulets on the glass. It doesn't do that on the lee side. Wildlife is also kinetic, and therefore stimulating. On the mood thread, I noticed that many people talked about wanting their gardens to be "relaxing." But I think that often, when planning for a view out a window, it might help to think more in terms of making things more stimulating. Part of what we like about the outdoors, after all, is that things are always *moving* out there. If I were planning for a view out a window for someone who might be forced to spend a lot of time with that as their only or primary view, I'd think in terms of motion. Also sound, smell, and wildlife.

I have to chuckle at your description of how the neighbours' garden looks vs. your own; I feel similar sometimes. What I've finally figured out that may also help you is that I suspect their magic touch may have to do more with other elements than with the plants themselves: mulch, for instance, makes almost any bed look better than it should, and if you also add (a) edging, and (b) maintenance such as sweeping up after working in the yard, that may be all it takes. The day I discovered that a broom is also a gardening tool and bought one to keep handy outside, my garden definitely went up a class. But also, think about the kinds of plants you're selecting. It sounds like you are very focussed on the small details of the plants, for example, what the flowers look like. You're talking about a pretty big bed, and being at the driveway it's likely mostly seen from a considerable distance. So, not only is no one going to see individual flowers (not to mention they're only in bloom for a few days), but also, what they are going to see is plant shapes, and some that you are mentioning, such as bachelors' buttons, are just indistinguishable lumps of green most of the time. Consider dwarf conifers, for instance, instead of perennials, and you'll have plants with form, structure, colour variation, and real "presence" vs a jumble of green stuff. A spreading juniper gives you a base, a columnar golden yew punctuates it, etc. Then you can dress up those bones with perennials for their periodic colour. Your spiky iris can make an impact, and maybe so can things like lilies, but for a bed that big and to make an impact from a distance, you may also need to think in larger quantities of plants. Also, and this will work best for your shady areas, consider plants with big or bold foliage instead of flowers as their feature. Hostas come to mind, but also ferns. Hellebores even have nice foliage, and as a bonus flowers early in the year. In short, step back and look at it from a distance, and you may find you make different choices. KarinL

Hmm I'd never thought about the taller toe kick before - that's a great idea! Are your LEDs hardwired then? I'm not as sold on the built-in bench as DH. I think he imagines more "steamy" shower sessions than I do (IYKWIM). I've been looking at those fold down/wooden benches and I think he's warming to the idea. I also am not totally confident in built-in benches for water tightness. Will definitely consider this. The code here for toilet space is indeed 30" - we have a little less in our current bathroom (like 28) and I'm not sure how we passed inspection. Anyway, the pony wall kind of defeats the purpose of the curbless shower but if we have to go curbed I'll definitely reconsider this. It'll be cheaper than glass! enduring that vanity is amazing - I love the idea of furniture as fixtures. Very classy and thanks for the advice! We'll have an exhaust fan installed where the heat lamps are currently - those things terrify me!! All the electricity is wired to the exterior wall, you are correct. We're having new ductwork run through the entire house, so I'll have to consult with the HVAC guy next week about where to put the vent - it'll come up from below so I'd probably have him mount it under the glass block window on the floor. I do like the idea of putting it under the vanity though - and it would be even easier if we did the tall recessed toe kick like you guys have mentioned. Do you find that your lotions and stuff stay nice and warm in the winter? Haha added bonus! Again, great ideas! What do you all think about in-floor heating? Would it work under a "wet-room" situation? I'm having my doubts about the life expectancy of those electrical systems and doubly worried about it setting my house on fire. Since we're ripping out an existing bathroom, I'm not sure what the subfloor looks like. Would the thickness of the electric tiles under the floor screw up the slope for the bathroom? We're having hardwoods installed in the bedroom and I don't don't don't want a transition strip in the doorway - in fact I'm not even sure if we can with the pocket door. Either way I'm worried the extra thickness plus the mortar he'll need to use for the tile plus then the tile on top would put us above where we'd need to be to have a flush transition with the wood. Did you guys contend with that?