The results will be more appropriate to your site if you have the architect and landscape architect working together from the beginning, rather than wait to get the landscape designed. One versus two story design can both work with a house designed for passive solar gain in winter. I think the term "sustainable" design is entirely misunderstood by many. The broader concept of sustainability has to do with best use of resources for the desired use, and the most sustainable designs for housing would focus on rehabbing existing structures utilizing local recycled materials for best energy efficiencies. New construction is not really ever an example of sustainable design in the larger sense if it consumes more resources than rehabbing/upgrading existing older homes. I think instead you might prefer to define what you're interested in building as an energy efficient design for your climate that minimizes materials which require the most imbedded energy use to provide. Recycling materials from demolished construction and/or repurposing already manufactured materials in-lieu of newly made materials are examples of more sustainable design. Garden design sustainability would look at design for least energy inputs of off-site water and energy, minimizing the need for using power tools for maintenance, as well as on-site recycling of tree trimmings and garden debris. Planting choices and layout would emphasize plants that need the least pampering with added fertilizers and irrigation, placed to facilitate passive solar heating/cooling of the home, as well as a layout that minimizes the need for constant pruning to compensate for over-planting. Sustainability in the larger sense of the word is not really compatible with the classic idea of gardens; which nearly always require constant maintenance and inputs of labor, water, fertilizer,haul away of debris, weeding, etc to maintain the design concept. One may only come closer to being sustainable than actually truly sustainable with a garden, IMO. Therefore I find the buzz around being green and sustainable is often more hype and marketing to the wealthy than truly making our society more sustainable at large. I see this especially well illustrated at the high end residential home market with ridiculously large yet energy efficient homes built with expensive materials and systems that can't begin to scale for mass production or lower income homes, and represent silly claims of sustainability that can't logically be supported. If you really are interested in minimizing your energy footprint, keep the new home sized small, emphasize re-use and repurposing of materials, and look at overall imbedded energy costs of material choices for the home and garden, and try to maximize local energy efficient materials. Design choices will always have to balance tradeoffs between initial costs and energy savings over time. I bet there are local builders, architects and landscape designers who are exploring how these ideas play out in your local climate. I'd also advise that there's a lot of hype over cost effective performance, and it will come down to your personal choices and preferences as to how "sustainable" you choose to be. In my own case, I chose to remodel my existing home of relatively modest square footage, replacing all existing windows, electrical and plumbing, adding additional insulation throughout as well as adding a more energy efficient radiant floor heating system along with new skylights for better day time lighting, rather than looking to build a new home from scratch. If I'd had the money, I'd have liked to add solar panels to the roof, but couldn't justify the additional upfront costs. I've made the house less expensive to heat in winter and use less water and power on a monthly basis, but don't make claims that the process was sustainable to the degree of recycling of all removed materials and only using recycled building products. I do think it is more sustainable staying in an older existing dense urban neighborhood already built out and well connected to utility and transit grids rather than moving to the exurbs.I've managed to keep my commuting to jobs within a 15 to 30 mile drive, at the same time I've improved the comfort and lifespan of an exsisting home built with old growth redwood, as well as reorganize the interior space for better living without enlarging the footprint. Those are the sort of concepts I believe are more realistically sustainable as compared to brand new construction.

Thank you so much for your responses everyone. Each and every word is so helpful to me, and i just soak them up. A few specific replies: Makete, would you believe there are coyotes in the woods around me? Although i never see them together, the deer and the coyotes both share the same paths, so i'm not entirely sure a scent mark would cause the deer enough dismay to keep them away. But i do remember when there was a bunch of coyote fur around one of my apple trees, and that tree remained entirely unmolested for some time. So you've definitely given me food for thought ... while it's easy to convince hubby to pee around the edibles, the coyotes might not be so compliant ... :) Heather, no i-deer! I LOVE that! And i also love your suggestion about the bird netting, because i happen to have extra from when i decided i had to protect the strawberries from pecking beaks. Although it may not be as permanent solution as some of the other excellent suggestions here, it's on hand so i might as well give it a try. Wayne, your observation is keen. There are woods on both sides of me, and the deer move through my field on a fairly regular basis. I know i should chase them even when they're not being naughty, but i just can't seem to bring myself to do that unless they're being destructive. I actually find them to be so beautiful, with their odd combination of frailty and force, the goofy ears and swatting tails. So i don't mind sharing - to a point! Why oh why won't they respect my rules? Caavonlady, i tried your mix! I used water, eggs, garlic, Tabasco, and hot pepper because it's what i had on hand and poured it around the beds. I also shaved Irish Spring soap around the beds, so hopefully, the mix of deterrents will provide a little more incentive for them to move elsewhere should they return. For those of you who have found netting and posts to be successful, thank you for the encouragement there. I think that's the route i'm eventually going to move towards, because these deterrent approaches are just too sporadic in their effectiveness. Meanwhile, i've cleaned up the damage and top dressed the newly empty squares with compost to help them recover from their trauma. :) And i'm actually pretty happy at the moment, because i have all kinds of space now to play with another wave of seeds. So ... all seems well with the world. Thank you again for your support and suggestions everyone. I really do deeply appreciate it.

I'd worry about oil and antifreeze being washed off the road and flowing into the garden when it rains. That spot might be a good spot for a bunch of flowers, that can filter the soil and stop the run-off, without being added to your personal food chain. I've gotten trees removed for free by someone who wanted the firewood, but you have to be careful about insurance in case they get injured. With the cost of heating, you might consider installing a wood stove and using those trees yourself for heat in the winter.

Laura, my God you must be happy but sad to leave!!! After all, you were in Citrus heaven, you do realize that? Your kids seem to be taking to your citrus endeavors quite well and now the husband too! It's awesome to see an entire family take to the citrus world and enjoy it too. You give all of us hope, those of us that are in this all by ourselves in our worlds..You say they are in dirt>>>>? That's crazy! They must get a lot more sunnier weather than we do and keep them in a very nice and warm and sunnier place all winter..If not, I am at a loss for words. You know, I would of packed a suit case of their dirt since it seems to hold some mystycal powers over what we use....lol So, did you sneak one back home with you? lol Have a safe journey back and thanks so much for making us a part of your trip and family. You have one big heart and really value us here. I am happy you discovered this forum and made you and your family a part of it!