hey kippy the hippy (great name btw) Thanks for responding! i am actually not happy with the bench that is there it looks to 'light" not in color but in weight and doesn't really anchor that area at all. Also unfortunately the gate swings in 3 feet past the window and cannot be flipped to open the other way. I already thought about that lol i hate that it opens in. We aren't allowed to alter the fence due to home owners association rules. (its like the gustapo here with that stuff) My husband is adamant that the gate has to open to a full 90 degree angle. I am not concerned with that but he is fighting me on that one. That makes having something that takes up the full window impossible because the furniture's depth and width would then impair that 90 degree angle. Im not quite sure what exactly you were suggesting with the metal so maybe you could show a picture of what you were talking about? I also agree with you about making the perimeter plants a bit higher. When we buy the boxwoods they will all be the same size (due to cost of taller ones) My original idea was to do something like you see in this picture here. disregard that there isnt any boxwoods at the edge of the fence because there will be. In this picture you see how it kinda staggers in height with it being 90cm high at the very corners and then stepping down to 60cm and then the lowest parts being 30cm (30cm is roughly 1 ft) It will be a matter of letting them grow to that height which will take a few years so it will have to be short for a while. i cannot afford 1200 euro on boxwoods to buy them already at the necessary height. I am intrigued by your idea of not even doing any underplantings at all and just using mulch instead. i agree an underplanting will get in the way of maintenance of the topiaries. I am concerned that not having anything though might make the garden appear too lifeless. I really appreciate your constructive criticism. Some other people on here might as well have just out right told me it looks like S*** for as rude as they came off to me, but I asked for honest opinions and i got what i asked for so im not complaining lol. Anyways thanks for you great idea!

I don't have a picture, but did get my picture taken with the hostess. If it's any good, I'll post when she sends it to me. Lots of people, awesome catered foods, by her mother who caters! So food was outstanding and BEAUTIFULLY presented. T'was nice to get out! And to feel good dressed up!

I always add a little onto yardage when I purchase it to compensate for unraveling, distortion, poor cuts...but better fabric stores should do this automatically. Have you measured your material to see if they may have added some extra to compensate for a less than aesthetic margin ? I am fairly new to quilting, but not seamstessing, and the lay of the grain can be very important when making clothing. We were taught in sewing classes to 'square up' a new piece of material to establish the grain before cutting by ripping a clean edge. You may be very surprised at what you find. I was really shocked the first time I bought some cottons at "the" box store. The design ran uphill and upon closer checking, it was because the grain did too. What this causes is the material to stretch in ways you may find affects the fit of a garment, or how a seam lays. If the edge of the material is distorted, pressing usually restores it to a decent block. ( Not that you should be expected to repair newly purchased cloth.) No, I don't think most stores rip their goods anymore, but I have purchased more than a few yards of cloth where they'd have gotten a lot closer to a clean cut if they had. One piece I bought once was four inches off square, when it was carelessly scissor cut. So, I guess it probably would not have bothered me to have it ripped instead. Of course, not all fabrics can be ripped, and common sense should prevail. I think the management should appreciate your opinion. I own a business and whether I want to hear how a customer feels about a certain practise, I know I need to hear it.

I can't thank you enough for all of the replies. It looks like dark wins, which was my husband's choice. After reading several of the posts indicating the light trim doesn't look finished, I have to say I finally "got it". Several of you suggested I paint the front door dark as well. I know you can't see it in the picture, but it actually is the same color as the dark trim. Magnaverde, your post made me laugh. When we were building the house, I had terrible anxiety about the garage, but it was my husband's dream and is now his "man cave". Luckily, we live on 25 acres at the end of a private, dead-end road and the house is set back far from the road. We've also placed several pine trees in strategic locations to try to mask the doors. So, when someone comes to our home, the garage doesn't smack them in the face until they are parked in front of it. :) Here are some pictures showing the the house from a different aspect. Thanks again, everyone!