Wow, you've made a huge great start. Maybe you should be telling us what to do! It's beautiful! I see your great pile of wood chips which has made this so possible for you, lucky you. I think I would just get a very, very long hose to design the rest of your beds and pace yourself. I used large appliance boxes to cover grass, then a very thick layer of wood chips and other organic materials on top. Then plant as you desire. Great going.

Anna

I love looking at other peoples gardens and giving advice especially people with large grounds that I myself don't have so it's vicarious pleasure.
You have such a great start that it's hard to tell you what to do. When I go to GW Landscape Forum where the pros hang out they always ask people to show a plot plan including buildings and existing trees and hardscapes.
Otherwise it's not possible to visualize your whole property just from photos (as good as yours are).
It's a lot of trouble to put it in electronic form but you would be amazed at how it helps you more than anyone to see your possibilities and sketch out the future.

First of all: what you have is lovely.

But what is your vision? Sometimes it's hard to sort through all the options so here's some questions to get you started. If you want, you can answer any or all of them here, and that will give GardenWebbers a better start for their suggestions.

How do you want to use the yard? Think in terms of the outside being just like the inside with different areas used for different things.

Do you need big open play areas? Spots for the dog(s) to walk, play and do their stuff? Sitting and watching sunset / sunrise / birdsfeeding / kids playing / horsesjumping / whatever? Do you want to grill and eat outside or does that happen in the screened patio?

Do you want/need a path to stroll on? If you do, you can use the path to link all areas of the yard.

Do you want a series of flower beds, some sunny, some shady, some mixed? Do you want seating by these areas? If you have a butterfly or hummingbird garden, you'll want someplace to sit and enjoy the show from! If you have a favorite flower do you want to devote a bed to that plant or have some of it everywhere?

Do you know what style of garden you like? Tropical, cottage, formal? Edible? Open and mulched or packed in and wild? If you aren't sure, then you should drive around your area and see what looks good to you. Also do some internet searches to view some nice pictures. Visit some of the other forums here to see what they have posted.

Besides thinking in terms of usable 'rooms' outside, also think in terms of small vistas or vignettes. From the driveway, what does the yard look like? From the backdoor of the screened room? From a favorite bench? Etc. Take a picture from each spot where you might stop and imagine what you want that particular view to look like. You can blend them all together later with a few plants or another path or a pretty shrub. Consider adding a focal point to each special view, like a piece of statuary, a bench, a birdhouse on a pretty stand, a birdbath or a fountain. Doesn't have to be large or expensive.

Hope this helps get your choices narrowed down a little!

I highly recommend sketching out your yard and drawing in the paths where you want them. Graph paper works great for this.

Have fun!
Kate

I love your place and think you are off to a great start. What a difference having an acre and a half makes compared to 1/4 acre. I'm a tad green. ;-)

Do post more pictures.

FlowerLady

Hi Marie,

Ditto what naples said. I love to help with design because I'm renting and TRYING not to put in to many plants.

From what I see in the pics, it looks like you like rustic, cottage gardens with some tropical added in.

Your garden room are already laided out for you, it just looks as if you need to define them some more, by dividing them with larger plant material(walls) to create more of a room, like on either side of your trellis. Also by adding other plant material it will make it look like more of a garden room. Wow, what fun I could have there, the options are endless, I would have a shade garden, secret garden w/fountain and a area where I could go to relax and read a book. Your yard looks great and has great potential. I wish I could just come to your house and help you, it will be a very beautiful garden.

Brat

Thanks for all of your ideas. I am thinking about putting a hedge, maybe boxwoods, around the rose garden. Would love to see pictures of your rose gardens. Again thanks for all of your nice comments and help...Tina

WOW, It looks great to me, already! What Kate said is important, what is your vision, what would you like to incorporate or change?