You might want to enlist a responsible local teen. If you show him/her how to do what you want, they will be much cheaper than some "pond guy."

I agree with elly that covering the mirror is the thing to do(a washcloth you can grab off when you go out?) As for the windshield, if putting the wipers up doesn't work, how about putting one of those accordion-style cardboard dashboard protectors (that keep it cool in hot weather) in your car, the kind with big eyes maybe? It might confuse him and/or scare him, and block his view of himself so he isn't rewarded for standing there. Just an idea; good luck!

Here are my thoughts on planning: while I agree that planning is important, I feel none of what I'm doing right now precludes any plants unless they are extremely acid-loving. My pH is 4.8 and the recommended ph ranges from 5.5 for acid loving to 6.5 for flowers. Changing the ph takes a long time and so far I've added 40lbs of limestone when I need 225 - 400 lbs! I also agree that using native plants is preferable, but that is limited by availability and cost. It's going to be hard to justify buying native if he cost difference is substantial. I have bought a few so far, listed below, from big box stores New plants: Gaura lindheimeri Salvia nemorosa Boneset chocolate eupatorium rugosum Salix integra brocade willow Pieris japonica If anyone has recommendations or websites to learn about native plants, please share. I feel like the far bigger limiting factor is the relatively small amount of sun I get, not my soil. Also, for any new subject, by definition my tastes are going to evolve, so I don't see much value in creating a plan upfront, when it's almost guaranteed that my tastes will change as I learn more about gardening. One example: I just learned about Swales and berms - something I'd never remotely heard of before. Now I want to learn how I can incorporate that in my garden!

Redbud is beautiful but it also has the nickname "Deadbud" in WI. Be sure when purchasing that your redbud is "Columbus, WI strain" or "Minnesota strain" for best results. They are normally a small ornamental tree reaching perhaps 25' tall? I would not think they would work well for limbing up high enough to "walk under". They are not a shade tree but a very nice ornamental tree. Yes it would work for screening although not extremely large growing. Best to site them where they get some winter protection versus a wide open yard. East or SE corner of a building, courtyard ect. They are quite shade tolerant and seem to do better in slightly wooded areas (perhaps more protection) than out in large open sites. sometimes prone to winter die back in youth and seem to be more winter hardy with age.