Armstrong Nursery here in California sells Talavera pots for outside. Maybe you could google Talavera and find info regarding outside use.

I am a confirmed, dyed in the wool DIY'er and with budget limitations that further require this approach. I feel as if I am smart, I know how to research, and so I should be able to learn how to do almost anything well enough to suit me needs. My previous homes landscaping was my first foray into the field and I attacked it- I read, I went on garden tours, I went to plant shows, seminars, and everything else under the sun to learn the basics. As a result I had a yard full of plants that had each been moved ten times in order to try and obtain the look I wanted. It was exhausting and this method continued for nearly six years. We joked about my plants having frequent flyer miles- my husband is a saint because he dug, moved things, and did everything I asked over and over and over in my attempts to capture a look. The money we spent on plants! Only to remove them and give them away when they did not work- it is sickening how much time and money we wasted. When we decided to redo all of our fencing I took the plunge and hired a landscape designer to make me a plan that we could implement as funds allowed. I was on a totally tight budget and did everything I could to make it easy for her to do my job- I had a survey ready for her, I had measurements, I had a list of every plant I owned that I wanted to incorporate and a list of those species I did not want, and I had clear ideas of the function of each space within my yard. She came up with a plan that totally did it for me. This was in 1996 and I think it cost me something like $350. The only items I had her company install were three larger shade trees. Everything else we did on our own over the next few years and it turned out beautifully. I know for a fact that is what sold the house in a very poor real estate market in '07- the house itself had problems but the curb and garden appeal were off the charts and the rear garden was a wonderland. Which is my long winded way of telling you that IMO spending money on a solid design up front is far cheaper in the long run that trying to do it yourself, especially if you don't have a demonstrated knack for it. You can spend that much money on plants at Home Depot in one weekend only to have half of them fail from being repeatedly moved or be inappropriate to your needs once you get them home. It would be FAR cheaper and more efficient, IMO, to work off of a sound design from the beginning. If you like you can substitute various plants within the design but the solid bones of the plan- the balance, the scale, working with textures- some things just go more smoothly and successfully when you bring an expert into the process. Of course you can do what you like- but IMO planting a plant one time and having it be the right plant for the specific spot that serves the intended purpose and renders you a gorgeous, easily maintained, well functioning yard- well that's worth the price of a professional design. I don't have any idea what they are charging nowadays but I do know that this yard will be with you for decades, or at least as long as you remain in the home. It is your daily environment, it influences your life constantly, it is the space our kids grow up in and remember all their lives. Even if I had to skip this years vacation or put off that bigger TV I would try and find a way to insure that my design was sound and the best way to accomplish that, IMO, is to have a pro do it.

As Yardvaark said, stand in one spot and post a series of photos. Having photos really helps us visualize what the space looks like, including borrowed view from surrounding properties. For instance, I don't know what your fence looks like or whether your retaining wall is visible or not and what material it is made of. Same with the deck. Think about how you want to use the yard - do you like to sit in sun or shade? Do you want a spot for the kids to play soccer or kickball as they get older? Is the deck the only place you want to sit in the yard? Are there other wishes not addressed in the plan such as a pool or veggie garden? Do you want privacy from overlooking homes or want to block out certain sights from where you most frequently view the yard (deck or certain windows)? Do you want the deck to be private or overlook the yard? Does the posted plan answer your needs other than the particular plant selections? "It was more than I didn't like the laurels." It seems like you are hinting that there may be more problem than just the specific plants. Is this the case? Do you like the overall arrangement of beds? Do you like puttering in the garden or want low maintenance? Kousa dogwoods, white-flowering redbuds and any of the Hydrangea paniculata cultivars like Limelight would suit your color scheme well, but so also would many other plants and if just the plant selection is an issue, ask for suggestions on the shrub forum, tree forum, and perennial forum. Consider what evergreens would be appealing instead of the ones you dislike: white-flowered rhododendrons, conifers of some type, one of the evergreen Viburnums? What ground covers appeal to you or do you want suggestions for smaller plants such as perennials and groundcovers?

"Finishing the garage" and having "a prettier space" ... does that mean you intend to put and "outdoor" television in there? Or do you need to build an entirely different roofed structure? It could get expensive. Speaking of that, have you ballparked a budget amount that could be devoted to all the things you wish to have? If so, what amount? Whenever you're taking pictures of landscape space, trying to convey that space to others, it's best if you show a complete scene so that those who can't be there in real life can gauge in their mind how things/elements fit together. To do that, it's important to pick a camera location from where it's possible to see the most without changing the camera location. Then, snap slightly pictures starting at the far left of the scene and continue until capturing the far right of the scene. Then, everything is connected to its surroundings. In the case of a patio area, usually, the camera needs to capture one complete scene looking outward (your back would be standing at the center of the house where the brick meets the wood siding), and it needs to capture another complete scene looking inward (toward the house.) In the latter case, one could stand in the lawn, lined up with the center of the house, far enough away from the patio that the camera can see the patio, and then snap slightly overlapping pictures that pan from far left to far right. (Both right and left neighbors' houses would show in the pictures.) Regarding the ideas you have for the patio, it sounds like you'd be interested in creating privacy from the neighboring properties. Logically, something as large and non-transparent as an outdoor fireplace, could be employed to contribute to the privacy. It's something to think about as you create the new space. While it's a great idea to use the forum to help think through general ideas of the space you wish to create, this is going to be a complex enough project that you'll need to employ a designer capable of creating hardscape, unless you're capable of thinking through all the details and drawing plans yourself. Most people are not. But some, with a proclivity for construction projects, are able to weed through the process and come up with a nice, well thought out project. You mention the basement stairs as an eyesore. But these are not going anywhere are they? This may partially resolve by having something else/more to look at in order to not focus so much on the stairs so much. It would be fairly easy to rebuild the steps to first floor so that they would be more appealing with the new space. Some of the things you might build will probably be affected by local codes. As you work out what's to come, you'll need to explore that subject with the local authorities ... or neighbor's will be reporting you and messing up your project.