Thanks, missingtheobvious. Yep, I missed the obvious. I know better than to post after that long a day. Or I thought I did. Apparently not..... But re vines, Lucy: Make sure you are not choosing something that will end up being a huge problem. No ivy, no others that are invasive in your area. Up here in the north, I would be looking at possible combinations of akebia, several of the clematis varieties, one of the more delicate climbing roses, etc, all tolerant, within limits, of moderate to deep shade. Don't know what would thrive in shade where you are. But watch for invasive characteristics when choosing plants. And remember that the strategy of most perennial vines is to grow to reach for light. In pots or planters, worst case, you leave them more in the lighted area of the yard for a week or three til they have vines that are 2 or 3 ft long. Then move the pot/planter into the deep shade, and give them a little something to climb, and they will find as much sun as they are comfortable with. They may end up being leggy in the first foot or three, but you can plant other things at their feet. They should be lush above. I love the ideas of both the bench over part of the drain and designing the 'step/s' outside the slider as informal seating. The floor.... Safe enough for the kid. Up here, I would probably use cheap shredded mulch, but in your hot/humid, this would be a home for lots of molds and other unnecessary allergen exposures for a little one. Ruling that one out. In a larger yard, where there was likely to be a swing set at some point, and in a few years maybe a trampoline, I would be much more concerned about hard surfaces. But it looks like this small area will be for quieter, less athletic play, with no mechanical assists to tempt a child to fly, and then plummet.... If so, then make sure your surface is laid evenly, whatever it is. No big trip hazards, no rock points that can cause unnecessary damage over a simple stumble. That should be sufficient.

What a cute little pig! Purple heart is Tradescantia pallida it has a somewhat vining habit and roots easily from the joints. Makes little purple pink flowers but is really grown for the deep purple foilage. It will be darker in sun but does great in shade as well. It tolerates dryness and moisture. I found some growing in one spot of my yard and just hacked it all up and planted it around- it seems to have took. I think Persian Shield would do okay under brugs too. It can grow up to 5 ft but you can keep it cut to a decent height. Some Crotons would probably work in florida too but might have to be brought in during winter. I hear the yellows do better in sun vs. the darker reddish colors. They like a lot of humidity and would have to be cut back when they got too tall as well. I had crotons under some potted brugs in LA and they did okay but were in afternoon shade. Here is a link that might be useful: purple heart

I have to say that I'm with Paulie on the subject of wedelia. It is an extremely invasive plant that is nearly impossible to get rid of once it's fully established. My parents were given some years ago which they then planted under a large laurel oak. For a while it didn't do much but then it took of like it was on steroids. It quickly migrated out of the flower bed and into both their lawn and the neighbors. Then it took over the nearby azaleas and actually climbed them! The only invasives that my parents have had a harder time getting rid of are blackberries, swamp weed, nut sedge, and florida betony. Some good ground covers to consider are chenille plants which are surprisingly tough, perennial peanut with it's bright yellow flowers, purple queen, blue eyed grass, beach sunflower (some of which seems to get taller then others), and creeping thyme. I prefer a mix of ground covers so that when one isn't blooming or is going dormant then another one is. Kara

I apologize for all this confusion. I have been having a lot of trouble! For some reason the edit button hasn't been appearing as an option, so I haven't been able to clean up my act! And when it does I have not been able to post more than one picture. Sometimes I can't even comment. I have been trying every which way . . . thus the mess. So . . . I hope this will go out. I appreciate any patience you have had! Patio -- At most it could be 14' x 16', but could be smaller also according to whatever fits well in a plan. Or the patio idea could be scrapped altogether if it doesn't fit well. We do have flagstones to work with if a patio/landing is an option. It does not need furniture on it. I played around with the idea of a pergola over the septic to disguise that, but don't know how to make it work well without it looking like it doesn't fit. I want to keep it simple but nice. I would like, if possible to have a sitting area/room for a bench over to the left where the Kousa is. Eventually the Kousa would give some shade. The septic pipes are not visible leading out from under the window on the right, but any planting there would have to be shallow rooted. The blue domes you see at the right are the septic tank domes -- the one furthest out from the window is the far end of the tank. Hope this clarifies things a little more.It worked!! If you need any more pictures . . . I'll try. Thank you for any help!