Cross referencing with your other thread, it seems your walkway is flared at both ends. From your drawing here I thought it wasn't. OK, so you aren't going to re-pour it, and I wouldn't either. If you were, I would not make that corner a right turn, but rather redraft the whole thing into a more gradually curvy swoosh reaching further down the driveway. You could leave the narrow bed by the garage wide enough for something, but to be honest, I think even with a redo I really would just pave to the wall - fill in the whole bed. Plants don't like growing in that situation anyway. With what you have I would tend towards a concept that works for me in my narrow beds: Basically a container gallery with plants at their feet. You could fill in the whole bed with pavers and put in a killer container gallery, or make it a container gallery among plants like mine. Your plants can be a single ground cover or a collection like hostas, hellebores, etc. In short, a bed like this only avoids being a plant line-up with a LOT of hardscape (can include wall art). If you really don't want containers, then study columnar conifers. Say, Taxus media 'Flushing,' Taxus baccata 'Golden Dwarf,' and the other usual suspects. Very structural stuff, including anything smaller you put in and can prune fairly flat (Cephalotaxus might be cool like that, has great foliage up close). But stay as far back from the door as you can with anything tall or wide. I would not do vines here. I would do structure. Structure is really missing from all the plants you have there too. Indeterminate blobs. You need big leaves. But I'm suggesting containers because to me your yard really needs hardscape. I know you have rocks, but they echo what I think is a bit of a design failing IN your beds (never mind their shape for a moment): kind of a tendency toward... spots? That captures what I don't like in your narrow bed now, what I don't like about the rose bed (and sorry, I hate those plants anyway - more indeterminate blobs with small leaves), and what I don't like about the rocks you've got. Plop. That's kind of the way I see a lot of those placement decisions. Collecting your boulders into groups might be much better. Collecting your plants into groups would too. I know all this doesn't address overall design, but that narrow bed isn't likely going to be part of any overall design anyway as it doesn't have "line" connection with anything you might do on the property (unless you can apply Woody's idea of running lines across the walkway...). I still like Woody's drawing but as far as overall design is concerned, I LOVE pls's concept. I wonder what would happen if you erased all the beds you've got and tried to sketch that out. Maybe boulder rearrangement could be guided by this concept at least. And it might enable you to keep some of the house wall clear. So I'm rambling a bit, sorry. Yes, I see bed shape as a problem here, but I think bed design/planting scheme is also contributing to the whole composition not working. Focal points, structure, hardscape, garden furniture... I think that is where you will need to go once you have bed shape worked out. It is not only plants that contribute balance, unity, repetition, etc. Actually now that I think about it, my plant zoo is actually irrelevant to my yard's design. I could move all my plants into different positions tomorrow, and the overall impression the yard makes would remain the same based on the hardscape alone. I think you are expecting the plants to BE your design, and that is maybe the fatal flaw. Karin L

What is really sad is the fact that most of these criminals cannot buy anything other than basic liability limits and the average American suffers. When no one wants to insure these repeat offenders anymore they are assigned to assigned risk, with again basic limits. Or they have no insurance at all and they are happy only as long as they can continue drinking or getting their next fix. They are self centered and are soul less. In many states one does have the option of buying high amounts of coverage on uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage to protect yourself. Drinking, drugging, or eating a gun does not make the problems go away for anyone. There is a solution; find God now. The "estate" if any, will no doubt be left to face the facts. I believe family members suffer the most. Some either refuse to get out of a bad situation, or see no other alternative. Ann, I believe in caneing. I don't believe in keeping 7% of our population or whatever it is now behind bars and ignored. Carla, I believe attorneys can be useful at times. Let them do what has to be done and let you and your daughter rebuild your lives. I suppose it is one of those when bad things happen to nice people things. Our heart goes out to you and hope that you and your daughter find closure to this evil deed.

One problem with the preceding message. "Drill a hole in wall, insert nail, hang blade from nail--will be able to see which end is too long or too heavy! Oh yeah?? Hang the blade on a nail (how thick is a nail?) Then spin the blade! Or hang the blade from the nail! Won't the blade be off center, hanging on the nail? What is really needed is a round shaft that just fits the center hole, and allows the blade to spin freely, until it stops spinning, whereupon you would be able to determine which end is heavier than the other. I've sharpened a lot of my blades by using my bench grinder, and i get no vibration! Now, if i would grind off a half inch from one end--then yes i'd get vibration. One time, i didn't have a blade in my stock, to fit a mower, so i carefully measured the end that would allow it to clear, marked both ends, cut off the outer ends with an air grinder, file the edge a bit, hung it back on the machine, and felt on vibrations!

In addition to the above, large native maples have large, aggressive root systems, effectively hogging any soil moisture and available nutrients away from smaller plants. That dry, rooty and shady condition makes establishing shrubs, and specifically those that aren't particularly very shade or drought tolerant, quite a challenge. He doesn't seem to have a good grasp on the situation - I'd seriously reconsider using his services.