First of all, I'm not a landscaping pro or any type of expert, just a homeowner who likes maps and plans. So I'm wondering about the actual usable amount of space in your front yard. I see a distance of 24'6" (maybe 24'8"?) from the front of the lot to the corner of the window on the right. Is the front property line the location of the curb? Will there be a sidewalk along the street in front of the house? Will it be right along the street, or will there be a parking strip (grass area) between the street and sidewalk? One of the lines in the front yard is labelled "ACHD easement." That's your county's Highway Division. It's 8' from the front property line, so it's 16'6" from the front of the house. My county doesn't allow trees -- or even tallish shrubs -- in the easement, so ask before you plant. The other line -- 12' from the property line, so only 12' 6" from the corner of the window on the right -- is the utility easement. That's another area where planting large shrubs or trees might be restricted, if power lines/pipes are underground. And hopefully they won't put any unsightly boxes in front of the house. But in any case, there may be significantly less space in front of the house where you're free to landscape as you wish, than you expect. Boise's snowfall averages only 19" per year, but you might want to ask the neighbors how much of the street snow will be dumped in your yard.

For an easy overview of the unfamiliar garden plants you're seeing, you might go to the local public library and look for books about garden plants for your region. And if you're looking for a particular book your library doesn't own, their Interlibrary Loan service can obtain it for you (sometimes charging a small fee). === "Plants for a Livable Delaware" talks about invasive plants which should be avoided, and those which might be substituted for particular invasives. http://www.dnlaonline.org/information/plants_for_delaware.php === The University of Delaware Botanic Garden has -- besides the garden itself -- plant info, events, plant sales, etc.: http://ag.udel.edu/udbg/ === NCSU has wonderful lists of garden plants in various categories (bulbs to trees, and everything in between). I've seen this information in the same format for other states, so I assume there's a USDA database which the states adapted for their particular climates. Unfortunately I could not locate such a database for Delaware (though that doesn't mean there isn't one). Anyway, NC's zones include DE's zones, so the NC database would be useful for you: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/index.html First, click on the category you're interested in. Then choose whichever arrangement of data presentation is most useful. Don't ignore the "By Scientific Name" and "By Common Name" at the top of each category.

I garden on 3 country acres that have lots of sloped spots. We have worked with what was there and have not terraced. We have put in two sets of stairs on our steep slope (like yours but wider and shorter from top to bottom). One set of steps is brick and 3 ft. cement pavers: the other is a wooden staircase with a landing and change of direction. (Wet wood can be slick). I can't say enough good things about groundcovers and I am happy with some that smaller, flatter gardens do not need. 1.First I would push yellow Archangel--Lamiastrum galeobdolon- green and silver foliage with yellow May blooms. It looks wonderful with daffodills or other spring bulbs pushing up through it. Part to full shade. I got mine free at a Community plant exchange years ago. It took on a steep slope like yours that was covered with poison ivy, tree of heaven and nettles!! 2. Lamiastrum Herman's pride-- less aggressive.-same colors 3. Lamium--I have White Nancy, and Beacon Silver--part shade. There are other colors. 4. Vinca--It sort of just comes. When it comes with gift plant or appears in my perennial border, I always have a needy place to put it. Can be sheared. Shade 5. Lysimachia nummularia--Creeping Jenny. The golden form is sold for ground cover or container planting. The green form comes around here by itself where ground is moist. Both can be useful.Sun or shade. 6. Ajuga--any and all. Bronze/purple ones are good for color contrasting with burgundy foliaged stuff. 7. Waldensia--Barren Strawberry--mostly a weed but an interesting one for smaller space carpeting. Yellow flowers, red no-edible "strawberries" 8. Ferns 9. Violets--weeds in perennial border, welcome on hills. On West-facing slope with 4-6+ hours sun.(4th year) 1. clumps of ornamental grass across top of hill. Need shearing in spring. 3 clumps of grasses on slope. Tricky to shear in spring but very helpful in look, either from distance or from windows above. 2. Swaths of black-eyed susans (near base of slope) 3.Swaths of cluster bell flower (near base) 4. Common purple cone-flower--swath slanting up hill. 5. Meadow sage (half up) 6. Yarrow gold plate(Near grasses at top of hill 7. Ox-eye daisy--near base 8. Gooseneck lysimachia (this has not done very well because soil is too dry to encourage it much. In addition, without my interference, dry land forget me nots, columbine, vernonia, perennial yellow foxglove, and ladybells have "come". Some live in other parts of property. Some of these are not technically groundcovers but they increase by root and self-seeding, can be left with seeds to attract birds, can be weed-whipped. It's been some work to establish but each year gets easier.

Well, after doing some more reading about my Amana AMH95 furnace, it seems I DO NOT (and CAN NOT) use a 2 stage thermostat. According to the manual (and bladloonie at HVAC talk), the Amana AMH95 unit will only support a 1 stage stat. But when I called the 800 customer service # for Amana, they said I needed a 2 stage stat. Nice to see the manufacturer giving bad info. Ugh. So, I am gonna call some of the local heating/cooling supply places tomorrow to get some prices on stats they carry. Gonna look into the Honeywell stats, as everyone has recommended. Hopefully, I can install it myself (it's only 4 wires). And hopefully it solves the problem with my furnace. we'll see. (keeping fingers crossed).