I've been struggling with the same question for several years now (although I have already planted my trees). There was a link to this article in another post and it describes a method that is similar to what I had decided to use with my peaches. Peaches fruit only on wood that grew the previous year so logically I was going to train my peaches similarly to how grapes are trained. Every lateral that has fruited will be removed after fruiting, but a new lateral will be trained to take it's place during the same year (but from it's neighboring tree). Here is a link that might be useful: Espaliering Made Even Easier - KNNN method

Gggrrrrr...must have been a GW quirk that didn't show the January photo when I first re-opened this thread. My apologies for the double post of that photo (I WISH there was some way for the originator of a post to delete it afterwards, as one can on other websites!). Anyway, here's a few photos I found that show a bit more detail on the LH side, upper half, where the two tree roses "Double Delight" and "Delany Sister" reside. This is an older photo and some of these plants didn't work out so were replaced. The little clump of silver-leafed gazania, at the foot of the variegated dianella, was outcompeted by the ceratostigma and eventually died. The vine on the trellis is a purple passiflora. In the above photo, the green groundcover leaning into the walkway, past the second "Ladies in Waiting" pink shrub rose, is Santa Barbara daisy. This is in front of a very pretty mid-height pink-and-white alstroemeria, and surprisingly, has never managed to overrun it. It makes a super companion to the roses when cutting for the vase. This is a more recent photo. Bottom left you can see the "Ruby Comet" argyranthemum. This is an improved descendant of "Ruby Slippers" which was super-tender. "Comet" seems much more hardy, it hardly blinked this winter. That flourishing bright green plant at the foot of "Delany Sisters" is....flat leaf parsley! Worked great and I think I may try to keep one regularly here. It did a great job hiding the tree rose 'legginess'. The small yellow flowers are those of the yellow erysimum, when it was young and sitting up straight, not leaning into the pathway as it does now, LOL:

The Miscanthus is behind the daisies which are Anthemis Susannah Mitchell, which is short with small button blossoms. If you can see a little pink on the right, that is a Knock Out Rose next to the Miscanthus, which hasn't had a yellow leaf on it through this dry spell and last year was the last thing blooming in my yard. The Pennisetum Hamlin is very tame and fits right under that BBush. There are a few others that are taller that are nice. Have you seen the pink blossomed 'Karley Rose'? It is just a little larger than the Hamelin. There is also one called Moudry which I think is gorgeous. BTW, here in zone 5/6 I have not seen a seedling from my Pennisetum. I saw a great combo in someone's front yard... Hardy Hibiscus, Shasta Daisies and Joe Pye Weed with Miscanthus gracillimus. It gets huge and probably wouldn't work for you dtd. But the pretty Pink Hardy Hibiscus, with the Joe Pye Weed was eyecatching. Here is that P. Moudry, wish I had room for that! :-) I just love tabs on a browser, don't you? [g] Nandina are very pretty. They have fall color too, right? Bluestem is great and I wish I had room to grow it. I also love Indian Grass which I didn't dare plant so I put it in a pot this year..lol. Not exactly happy there. [g] You know you are talking about prairie plants there dtd! :-) I see from your OP that you mentioned Joe Pye Weed there already that might be staying. I measured my 'Little Joe' just now and it is about to bloom and stands 45" high. First year in, so don't know if it will get larger. I also measured the bed my Butterfly Bush is in and it is 7ft deep at the point the BBush is planted. I did plant it forward, because my neighbor has an evergreen on the other side of the fence that hangs over a good foot and a half. There are about 5 trees right along my fence line behind that whole bed, so that BBush has to deal with dry conditions for sure. I just looked up 'The Blues'...isn't that so pretty! I came across a grass comparison chart in my travels and posted the link below for anyone interested. Here is a link that might be useful: Grasses comparison chart

I know you're probably excited and just want a list of gorgeous plants that will look fabulous lol, but I have to agree with the others- you have to, imo, think more long-term and take it a bit more slowly. I would definitely put any effort first into what you want to do with the entrance - new stairs, larger stairs, a "landing area" around the stairs, perhaps bringing out the roof over the steps, maybe even adding a porch, etc - and then definitely really think how you want the walkway from the door to the driveway. I agree wider is better, and I personally would go with something slightly curved, not straight. You could then have a lovely garden in the area in front of the right side of the house, between the walk, the house and the driveway. As someone who bought a house with a straight walkway to the drive, and who has wished for 25 years I could afford to change it, and who has dreamed for 25 years about the garden I COULD BE having, I can't stress the importance of, imo, doing the hardscaping first - and carefully thinking it out. Maybe I'm projecting my wants onto your blank slate, lol, but I do think since you have that wonderful blank slate to work with, that is how you should proceed. To the left of the door (looking at it from the street), just be sure to make your beds deep enough - I would say at least 8 feet. It looks like you have the space for that. And you mention "hiding the well" - is your well really in that spot? And you don't need to keep that little structure if you don't like it, right? So if you don't want it remove it. A well cap is much easier to "hide" than a little well house thing. My daughter just bought a new house and is insisting on hydrangeas in the front! I keep telling her in winter (here in CT, similar to Boston) that she will have bare sticks. But, like a good mom, lol, I helped her plant them and am prepared to help her move them in a year or two, haha! For your house, I can see one, maybe two hydrangeas, away from the door, especially if you make that big garden area to the right after you put in your big curved walkway lol. But near the door as a focal point, I think you will come to rethink hydrangeas. Once you think about and plan what you want this to look like in general, then you can go to town on buying plants. There really are some great plants, and imo, a mix looks better than just one kind of plant, and a staggered, layered planting looks better than a row. And you can still have that staggered, layered look and be symmetrical, if that's what you prefer. There are hollies, pieris, rhodies, yews, junipers, firs, etc., just to name the evergreen ones. You might want to add a small, perhaps flowering tree, to the mix. As Ken says, now is a good time to start looking for sales if you really want to buy. IMO, though, if it were me, I'd wait till I had a plan, and at the very least, I'd buy on sale now but overwinter in the pots in my garage or shed or similar space, and plant in spring when I had a better idea of where things were going. Good luck and please keep us posted! I think I can speak for a lot of folks here when I tell you how exciting it is to see someone planning a new garden, especially with such a blank slate to work with. We get to live vicariously through you and see it come to life! :) Dee