Your house is LOVELY! Really, it has so much curb appeal. The cat is a nice touch in the photos as well :) I agree that the big green ball-looking shrubs are not doing the house any favors. There are much nicer things you can put in that spot. First things first, I would layout beds so that your mowing/edging work is as easy as possible. I always think it's easy to lay mulch down in an unusual shape compared to mowing an unusual shape. So I agree with the person who said to add plants along the retaining walls. I would use something pretty low growing that will die back in the winter because I'm assuming you have a snow blower that will toss snow onto that area. So, avoid shrubs. Suggestions for the areas alongside the retaining wall: Heuchera (many varieties like part shade) - for really great foliage color all summer and fall Brunnera for contrast with the Heuchera. As a bonus, deer are less likely to eat both of these plants. I understand the deer population on Long Island can be hard on plants Daffodils - also deer-resistant, lots of spring color, and they live forever. For in front of the house, where the green globes are, it depends on if you spend time on the porch or not. If you do then I'd look for something that smells good interplanted with some evergreens. If you don't spend time out there, then I'd use boxwood and something to contrast with it. If you have 4 hours of sun, then pieris floribunda is a shorter version of Andromeda that would contrast with boxwood. It can tolerate partial shade but it can grow to 6' so you may have to prune it back (I had this & it survived pruning quite well, I had to keep it to 4' tall or less). This is getting long, so my last suggestion will be related to the bed with the weeping cherry. Right now there is a tongue of grass that you have to mow between that bed and the edge of the walkway. I think that area would be better used with some plants in there. And it would make your mowing pattern easier :) Pick something that is not thorny and not a big bee magnet since you'll walk by it all the time. Maybe a hydrangea (though they like morning sun better than afternoon, they will do fine in afternoon sun - mine are HUGE). Just look for a smallish one since they can become huge. I would suggest peonies there, since they die back 100% and you can pile snow from the walkway over them in the winter, but I don't know if you have enough sun that close to the house. Seriously though, that is a really pretty house. You don't have to get super-cute on the landscape because the house is already stunning. Think of it like a gorgeous gown at the Oscars - just some classic jewelry, hair, and makeup is all you need to enhance it without distracting from it (as opposed to the "plain black dress" that needs lots of jewelry to make it red-carpet worthy).

Andy10917, tiemco, texas-weed, and I are all moderators on another forum which cannot be mentioned here. Not only is it poor sportsmanship to troll other forums looking for members, GW has a specific software rule in place which does not allow the mention of that other site. The name of the other site happens to be the same name as a former lawn guru here who was banned after an incident in a cooking forum. So there is a lot of ill will on this side toward the upstart forum that took most of the talent away. In any case, as is sometimes mentioned here and elsewhere, all golf course greens are built on 100% sand. In fact they go to lengths to keep out that nasty organic matter that the rest of us try so hard to incorporate into our soils. But there are some differences in sand. If you have salty beach sand, the salts generally need to be washed out. That's not hard if you do it before you get it. There are also differences in sand particle size and whether particles are rounded or faceted. I know there are differences but I don't know if they make a difference in growing great grass. For my money I will probably never buy topsoil again. I much prefer sand. I've got both in my San Antonio lawn. The grass in the sand always looks the best. If you bring in topsoil or sand, it WILL change the drainage of your lot. Proper drainage is extremely important to keeping water out of your basement or foundation. If you have proper drainage now, when you bring in topsoil, it is nearly impossible to continue to have proper drainage. In my case our house had all the soil washed out down to the tree roots. There was a 4-inch drop off from the front walk way and a 6-8 inch drop off in the back. I needed something just to bring everything up to level. I used 20 yards of topsoil in front and 8 yards of sand in back. The topsoil was back breaking while the sand was smooth as silk to put in. Years later after remodeling, we had a situation where rain runoff flowed toward the house and sat up against the foundation. Once again I brought in sand. Needed 9 inches against the house and feathered it out to the driveway. That was another 2 yards. I love sand.

We transplanted several mopheads that were about 4 ft around. Process --We dug around it from all sides, grabbed the plant and it took 3 people, two pulling and one cutting longer roots with a shovel. We dragged it onto an old sheet, loaded it into the back of a truck and took it home to a hole we had already dug. I cut back half the stems, and took off half the leaves and it recovered nicely and bloomed the next spring! I know that is not an option for you but in the process we accidentally cut a portion of a plant off (chopped through plant cutting off about a 1 ft wide section. I planted that in a large pot and it survived and bloomed! I wonder if that would work with a portion of yours? As long as the section you cut off had roots I bet it would work. I have moved several of mine about 3 times and they all recover within a year. I even moved some in the middle of our Texas summer and drought last year, put them in pots over the winter and they survived and are covered with buds this spring! (not the optimum way to do it but, the house sells when it sells!) Good luck, Danna

It'll be another 6 weeks or so before serious cold weather hits here (I hope, because I still have a painting project to complete). From my experience, the longer you wait to assemble the deck, the better. Just store the wood in the vicinity of where you plan to do the building, cover it with a tarp, and wait until you can get round to the project. A couple of years ago I made a mistake when building a porch using pressure-treated framing and IPE T-G decking. I purchased the pressure treated stuff and put the framing together right away. Then I purchased some kiln-dried T-G IPE and within a couple of weeks laid the deck. I should have let the wood acclimate for a few weeks first. To make matters worse, we were having some unseasonably beautiful, clear, low humidity weather even for October. It is normally very humid here in the summer months, with low humidity in October, and lots of drizzle during the winter, so the wood is going to be constantly expanding and contracting throughout the year. The project went together beautifully, but after a few weeks, rains season set in. By then, the pressure treated framing had shrunk due to the low humidity. But with the rain, the IPE expanded just enough not buckle, but the end pieces now curl down at an angle. To repair it, I would have to take the posts down, take up he whole deck, and re-install it using new screw holes. It didn't get any worse over the course of a year, so I don't plan to re-do it. Most people don't even notice it, but every time I look at it, the uneven end boards stick out like a sore thumb. The decking boards expanded near the edge where water drips off the porch roof, but in the middle of the deck where it gets less wet, the spaces between boards have visibly opened up. If I do a similar project again, I'll know to pile all the wood on location and let it sit there for a couple of months before beginning assembly, and with T-G use something like automotive shim stock and maintain about 1/40" spacing between each board, to allow for expansion and contraction without buckling or curling. Don