Hi amanda_t, from a fellow Kentuckian. I currently practice here in Scott County and in Louisville. I've lived and gardened in Nicholasville, Versailles, Lexington, and Paris. Which best approximates where you are in KY? You mention you occupy a "large urban lot." Give us an idea of what that means (since in NYC that could be a 1000 square feet): 1/4 acre, 1 acre, 2.5 acres? Lexington has quite a few properties near the middle of town with 5 acre parcels. If you have a 100+ year old ginkgo, do everything you can to preserve/protect that youngster against all potential damage from new work you intend. That is a plant to treasure. All that said, here's what I'd offer based on your initial set of likes: Beeches: There simply is nothing to match the grace and beauty of an American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) in most seasons. While it is not my favorite large shade tree, I can see where it is one to invest in and love for life. Much of my career in Louisville revolves around managing the historic and wondrous landscapes of the old parks that are blessed with fabulous specimens and thick forests of American Beech. Don't "settle" for an import. Maples for fall color: There are many native species (Sugar and Red Maples already mentioned) and myriad introduced species (Acer griseum, Acer triflorum, Acer palmatum, Acer henryi among them) that offer stellar fall color. Decide which category (large, intermediate, or small) that you'd like to invest in. None will be immune to ice damage; that is easy to observe around Lexington and Louisville. Catalpa: I agree with you on this one - it is too seldom used for its bold branch architecture and impressive leaves/flowers. People focus too much on "litter". I defy anyone to identify a tree that doesn't drop something at sometime. Biases indeed... Crabapples with pretty flowers: There are numerous excellent selections in this category. Pretty flowers are a given. Consider only selecting the highly disease resistant forms, and then decide if you want white, pink, or reddish flowers. Forms can be interesting, from the standard big rounded trees to erect, pendulous, weeping, and dwarf. Finally, the best combine all the above choices with small persistent fruit. This provides winter-long interest until spring leaf-out and/or arrival of the hungry robins to strip them. If you are serious about this species, I can provide a separate (long) list for KY. Redbuds and Dogwood: These are never bad choices. There are numerous fine performers for KY. Trees with wide stretching branches or shapely branches: Hmmm. This is hardest to answer, since it is rather open-ended. I'll second the votes for Nyssa sylvatica and Picea orientalis. These are two that there can't be too many of. I'll offer some tree ideas that haven't been mentioned previously above. Cercidiphyllum japonicum, esp. 'Amazing Grace' Gymnocladus dioicus Carya cordiformis Ilex opaca Abies nordmanniana Quercus michauxii Ostrya virginiana Franklinia alatamaha Halesia diptera esp. 'Magniflora' Viburnum rufidulum Asimina triloba Chionanthus virginicus Cladrastis kentukea It is interesting that no one above asked you what the site was like that you garden on. Some of the suggestions are outstanding - provided the growing conditions are good for that plant. Depending where you are in KY, white oak may be a rather poor choice. It doesn't occur often in the inner Bluegrass region, preferring instead the somewhat more acid soils surrounding this area. The favored trees of the Bluegrass landscape include Quercus macrocarpa, Quercus muehlenbergii, Quercus shumardii, Gymnocladus dioicus, and Fraxinus quadrangulata. I do and would continue to plant any/all of these (and spit in the eye of EAB).

If it were me and I was going to redo the front walk I would just do poured concrete in an oval shape to mirror the bed around the trees in front of the house. That's the least maintenance. Yes, remove the yews, they should not be trimmed in an unnatural box shape for a home as natural looking as yours. Don't know what the tree is next to the yew shrubs, maybe blue atlas cedar or blue spruce? Either way, it is going to get big so you may want to move it now while you still can. It's a "specimen tree" meant to be viewed from afar, so I'd put it in the back yard, "afar" from the house where I could take it in while sitting on the back patio or looking out the back window. You could take out the front set of birches with two trunks, that is the one that blocks the view the most. I wouldn't do that, but I am a tree hugger. Where the yews and that blue green tree are, I would put some flowering trees or shrubs that would remain small, and maybe something that smells nice to greet me as I walked up to the front door. You don't say your zone, but it appears to be a 4 season area so I'd put in some rugosa roses (but that's just me) maybe mixed with hydrangeas. That's what I have in my front entrance way. Roses can get buggy, so if you want something even less maintenance, shrubby cinquefoil and low growing spirea are just about as easy peasy as it gets. "Knock out" roses don't smell as great as a rugosa but are more foolproof, depending on your zone. BTW, there are small evergreens you could put next to your house. There are some small junipers that would fit the bill, or a bird's nest blue spruce (which I don't particularly care for but some folks love). But like I said, not sure what that is by the yew hedge, it may be a dwarf for all I know but it doesn't look like it from my casual glance.

I presume you are talking about edging the planting bed with a hardscape feature ...? Always, I find edgings that stick up above grade usually add a busy, junky quality to the overall scene. What makes this worse is that they are usually installed in an unprofessional way ... wiggling and undulating a bit, which makes them look cheap and tacky. A much better solution is a flush laid brick, stone or paver mowing strip that is 8" min. in width, installed to smoothly flow (without wiggling or undulation) with the grade. If you're talking about "edging" with plants, I absolutely would not do this. It's not necessary and is almost always (of course there are a FEW exceptions to just about every rule) a visual detraction. Many times it makes maintenance more difficult, too, as one is tasked with needing to keep an edging plant separate from the plants behind it.

@TJ hello neighbor! I never thought of a gold cascading plant. Good point. Yes, those wires go to that pole. There use to be approx 60ft Colorado spruce there on that side that we took down because it was dead inside, declining, caused trouble with the wires and over growing to the walk way. I do agree we need something there again for the sake of every view point. Everything is so flat now, and there are all kind of cable, phone, electric wires merging right at the part of the house. Just trying to decide on what type. Something like what you suggested, or something branchy and airy. Here is a photo with the tree before it was taken down. Being from the same area, how do you find the disease and pest issues with the confiers to be? I'm a bit paranoid about that with the, especially with the clay soil. We also have those black walnuts trees that seem to cause some people trouble. Ours is in the back yard at least. Maybe I'm worried for nothing. Maybe just gun shy view because of the images of the neglected junipers and such that look so sickly or cumbersome.