Thanks everybody! Mrs Garfield is lovely :-) Frank, I think Mrs Garfield, like Garfield, prefers warm and cosy environment :-) Hatta

I've had mine for 3 seasons, and it's in the ground. I get the high temps like you do Kathy. It rarely blooms and grows like a climber. When it does bloom, they blow really fast. So far, I'm not that impressed. But I'll keep it anyway.

I would use unfaced. I would buy as a roll (not precut batts) and cut you own 5 ft pieces.

I like many of Yardvaark's suggestions, though I am not a fan of that particular entry since it looks undersized to my eye. Try widening the walk and adding a generous landing, making the front beds deeper, and limbing up the tree in front after consulting with a qualified and licensed arborist to see if it is healthy. I think that all three trees are assets to the home. I am not a fan of walkways lined with plants. They all too often crowd the walkway, interrupt the view to the house, are additional maintenance, and make mowing a bit more work as they divide the yard into two separate areas. Do this much and then live there for a year with the changes before you decide whether the tree needs to go or shutters need adding. I like the current clean look of the architecture, and that type of shallow hip roof doesn't need the shutters to look appropriate. I would rather see a slightly larger, more classic looking roofed entry than shutters if given the choice to dress up the front view, and it would be of more practical value as well.