Aggie, the journey can indeed be frustrating and paved with failures. but each failure is a learning experience. What people with experience can do is help you identify the lesson, and maybe also help you to differentiate the possible from the impossible, but don't let anyone rob you of the journey or of giving it a try. At the risk of repeating myself, you are asking a lot of yourself to get both your foundation planting and your flower gardening out of one spot. If colour and seasonal variation are really important things for you, I really would suggest you consider adding a bed somewhere to give yourself more opportunity in better growing conditions - and that is tough to do nicely if you don't make a new bed out of the same stone. But maybe you can do that. The other thing that is a bit uphill for you is that you can only get so much uniqueness when your plantings are in the same PLACE as everyone else's. I suspect in your old neighbourhood, there was variety in WHERE in the yard people put their plants, as well as variety in what plants they had. If I drive through the neighbourhood, everyone's plants are probably at the foundation, and if only the details vary, the overall impression is still very similar. So your bed at the foundation is working against your desire to do something original on two counts. But it can be done... if you haven't already asked in the conifers forum, ask there for some suggestions for specialty conifers that would do well in these conditions. You do need evergreen plants - the bones, so to speak - and they can be broadleaf or needled evergreens. If you want a lot of variety in your flowering plants, you might enjoy having repeats of some interesting evergreens... I keep thinking of Chamaecyparis 'Wissel's Saguaro' but that might just be because I like it a lot. No idea if it works in your conditions. Even boxwoods would look good as consistent, repeated forms to offset the variety. If, on the other hand, you want consistency in the flowers (all purple petunias or peach roses), then go for variety in the conifers. Who knows, you might develop a talent for topiary :-) Some of my favourite yards are amazing topiary confections. I don't have the patience or the discipline for it though. Then you can do amazing things with quite ordinary plants. Pruning makes all the difference between green blobs and interesting shapes. Broadleaf evergreens will also offer some options for you; try asking for advice at a couple of nurseries - not big box stores. I don't know if the Ilex family would work or not, but if so, Ilex 'Mariesii' is a lovely plant - varies in form, can have some fun with it. Whitecap is right that people like me from outside your area may not be much use for specific plant recommendations, but we can help with form, and process. I've linked below to a site that explains the principles of landscape design in a way that I like. It doesn't all translate to the design of a single bed, but you can maybe play with some of the ideas. Karin L Here is a link that might be useful: Principles of landscape design

I don't mean to scare you. When I read your original post, it sounds like you had a vision near the bottom where you itemized 1-4. One and two sound like you had a comfortable direction. The post seemed like you worked together with the landscaper to form a "vision" and then started implementing it. It now sounds like it was much looser than that, so there is a difference and with that difference there is reason to believe that you can have better results. You asked if I am a design professional. I am a registered landscape architect. "However, you scare me a little bit, Laag....as a novice gardener I wouldn't expect that the execution would be immensely difficult. Depressing to think that a lovely plan on paper could be spoiled in the brown-thumb hands of the wrong person." Implementation of landscape plans is actually highly variable. A layout plan of plant placement may not be that way so much, but you have a lot more in the mix than plant placement. You have topographic changes which brings a third dimension that spurs off a number of other issues. Sticking to just the aesthetic parts of those issues, you have the steps, terracing, retaining walls, and how the elevations affect how the plants visually interact (which is very different than if they are in a flat plan). A very good design can be drawn that takes all of this into account. But having that good design does not get you out of the woods just yet. The execution is very dependent on the ability of the person to layout the plan. It is much more difficult to do on varying terrain. That is not really easy for people who do it all of the time and is quite difficult for someone who has never done it. That is an area where a good plan can be horribly compromised in the implementation. Let's say that both the design is good and the layout is done accurately. Now we have the sculpting of the terrain to deal with. This is not easily drawn on a small scale plan with contour lines and very difficult for inexperienced people to convert from lines on a piece of paper to the actual contour of the ground, so a lot may be left up to the person doing the work to try and make it work. Let's say that is done well. Now you have the actual construction of the steps. You may have some well drawn construction details that show you what needs to be done, but a lot of garden designer's are not experienced in drawing up construction details and the added ability, time, and liability would drive the design cost up. But let's say the designer has provided good construction details. You still need the skill set to build them. Some things are fairly simple to do such as forming and pouring concrete. But putting together a stone wall takes more than being able to read a construction detail. It takes real skill. It is true that a not all walls have to be masonry masterpieces, but there is a point where rustic crosses the line to crude. Crude will detract from the intent of the plan. Let's say that the skill set to build the walls and steps are good. Now we can move toward planting. A #5 Nikko Blue Hydrangea might be called for on the plan. If you call three nurseries and have them each ship you one, will they all be the same? I can tell you that it is unlikely that they will be based on my own experience. This means that selection of a nursery can impact the implementation. Let's say you have found a good nursery. Now, plants are living things and they are handled at nurseries. This means there are variations from one plant to another. Someone has to know which plants are the healthiest, the right shape, and otherwise the best choice for this particular job. This does not mean that any other #5 Nikko Blue is not going to work, but it does mean that it adds a quality variation in implementing the plan. Let's say that we are able to do this very well. Our land form is shaped, steps and walls are well laid out and well crafted, and our beautiful plants are on site. Now there is the digging of the holes. Some will make them bigger and some will make them smaller. Some will amend and some won't. Some will amend with xyz and some with abc. Some will bury them 2/3 and then water them in and finish burying them after the water subsides. Others won't water them in at all. So, yes, implementation of a plan can take a great plan and turn it into a lousy landscape. ... or not.

Thanks for the leads. Looking at my tree guides I could only tell it wasn't a pin or burr oak lol. Only had my cell phone with me for pics. Has good resolution but doesn't zoom worth &*$@.Even dorking it up and standing in the bed of the truck I couldn't get any closer to the leaves. Gathered up a couple acorns but who knows which oak in the grove they were from. I'll see if any sprout up in the spring with similar leaves.

I guess I am unclear about what you want us to do. I suggested photos so you could think about what you like as far as kind of plant arrangement, kinds of flowers (not so much specific names, but more styles), and thoughts about foliage. For instance do you like Daisy shaped flowers or tall spires like ironweed or roses or big fluffy heads like Annabelle hydrangea or all of the above? Are you someone who only is interested in flowers, or are you wanting a garden that looks good when little is blooming? Do you want winter interest since your winter must be long, or do you not see this garden from the house? Do you like foliage with colors other than green? Have you done a web search for photos of Piet Oudolf's gardens and is that what you mean by a meadow? How do you feel about grasses? I honestly couldn't design a garden for someone long distance, and we haven't seen the site or examples of what you like. We don't know the growing conditions other than zone (moisture, soil texture and pH, sun conditions), so it's a bit difficult to make constructive suggestions. I think what often happens on this site is that once we know the growing conditions, we can suggest plants, and then you can choose what you like and arrange them. Just some general thoughts, though. - "I already have done the 1" = "X" block diagram thing." What have you done with it? I suggested that you also make circles symbolizing the plants that interest you and slide them around to find an arrangement you like. Once we know what types of plants you are looking for, then you can do the arrangement in a way that is pleasing to you. If you haven't checked out the book I mentioned in my first post, Tracy DiSabato-Aust such as The Mixed Perennial Border, it will be helpful to you in design and information about maintenance. - With a garden that large, mulch will be your friend while plants fill in. I usually put down cardboard or several layers of newspapers and then cover with mulch. I find this easier to do before planting, and then when it's time to plant I pull the mulch aside, cut the cardboard, and put in the plants. - Have you done any soil prep? What is there already - lawn grass, rough field grass, weeds, bare dirt, etc.? If you haven't prepped the whole garden area, you probably just want to put your plants in a holding bed while you do prep. For me to prep the area for a ~70' x ~15' bed that had been already cleared, it took me a couple of weekends using a tractor to move composted manure, rake it out, loosen the subsoil left by the bulldozer, and mulch. It is a whole lot easier IME to prep the entire bed, or at the very least a section of the entire bed, rather than trying to do prep as you plant. The quality of the soil will really determine the success of this garden. - Have you though about access to the garden for maintenance? I imagine you will need paths of some type in the garden so you can remove weeds or invasives, cut back dead stems and foliage in the fall or early spring, etc. - Is there water available if you have dry spell? New planting will need watering until plants are established. Once we have some idea of what you like and growing conditions, you may get more suggestions.