Jenfee, we have a similar yard set up (well, we did. A tornado took out a lot of our trees :) - as you have but our front yard is larger... We have a front yard vegetable garden. It is set up to look similar to a community garden in organized, raised beds and containers. It was unique to the neighborhood but now many of my friends here are doing something similar because of shady backyard situations. The other half of our front yard will be more ornamental. For shrubs I am planting blueberries, figs, pineapple guavas. Vines will be bean poles, then there will be tomatoes both vining and bush. For smaller plants and borders there will be thyme, little greek basils, peanuts, mixed with things like nasturtiums, johnny jump ups, calendula and other edible flowers. This area is contained in raised beds with "urbanite" (because I have it) broken concrete stacked to look like stone in curved beds. I just threw in lagsana stuff behind those in a winter and then planted my winter sown stuff in there in spring. Have to start again since trees squashed it all, but it did look pretty darned good! Here is a link that might be useful: edible front yard landscapes

Hiya, Looks like you really have your work cut out for you. It might be really helpful to visit some established gardens in Vegas to learn more about what really works down there. I visited the Gardens at the Springs Preserve when I was at a Landscape Confrence 4 years ago, and have remained on their mailing list. I can't belive the scope of classes, tours and demonstartions they offer, it's absolutely wild! It is under 4 acres and is very walkable, and everything is well i.d'd Looks like it has been established at least 10-12 years, so you can see some nice, fairly mature specimens. I believe it is sponsored by the SNWA(S. Nevada Water Authority.) Reno needs to catch up I'm afraid; we have a botanical garden at Rancho San Rafael park, but its pretty feeble by comparison. Larger than its Vegas sibling, but less info is disseminated.Maybe things will change w/ the new director Bill Carlos who recently came aboard. Here is a link to the Gardens at the Springs Preserve: http://www.springspreserve.org/html/gardens_visitor_information.html I don't know what the topography + architecture is like at your parents new house (probably a stucco ranch, flat as a pancake?) but you might want to introduce some mounding with some rocks/boulders. Quite a few interesting gropundcover and perennial plants will enjoy growing in this type of situation, plus it makes it easier for your folks in that they don't have to bend + kneel so much. Also investigate container gardening (on a separate drip zone). I saw some really cool planters in Vegas, that thrived in a patio setting. Some were very elaborate and had ornamnetal grasses combined with different annuals that trailed out of the pots.Very luscious! Good luck in your gardening adventures down south! Here is a link that might be useful: Gradens @ Springs Preserve

I think a nice gift for you might be a chainsaw-LOL I have done some trimming around here and maybe have one or two more branches to remove,I guess you will get an idea by mid March how the sun is going to track. I think if you have 4-6hrs(esp mid-day)you should be able to grow just about everything you want,did you bring that washy?I think out in the front yard(out of shade and away from house) would be a nice sunny spot for it.Boy,you sure have lots of room to work with and I love the river rocks around the side and back of the house!looks like the front of the house is the best spot for your new cactus garden? I don't know what to tell you about those deer though,they sure are beautiful until they eat your favorite palm!I know they will eat almost anything when they are hungry. It sure will be fun to follow your progress with the new place,happy hunting,err,I mean for your new plants;-)

This is the 3rd in a series of 4 photo tours of Public California Garden Spots in the Silicon Valley Area. It is being reposted here using thumbnails to satisfy demand for viewing by folks who have only dial-up modems and were unable to tolerate loading photo links to photobucket.com. Click on Thumbnails to Enlarge Them Hakone Gardens is just above and beyond Monte Sereno and Saratoga, satellite cities of San Jose. You take the California 9 exit west from the 17 at Los Gatos. The Gardens are on the slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains as the 9 winds up to Skyline, a road that runs along the ridges from the South Bay, all the way to San Francisco. Unlike San Jose's Friendship gardens which are administered by the city, Hakone Gardens has been restored by a private foundation with help from Santa Clara County's Parks and Recreation. It has more buildings and noteably, lots of bamboo. There are some steep climbs, but not far. Flowers are plentiful in the garden. Black Bamboo ... Sorry, it's out of focus and I should have gone back and reshot, but didn't. I have a fondness for Iris. The following flower has a very pleasant spicy aroma ... Shucks! The drinking fountain is out of order ... Rock surfing ... Plant Labels for new seedlings heh heh! Another Plant Label? And the Rock Surfer Dudes are still playing out the waves ... This old lamp not only lights the path ahead, but you can stop and fry and egg on it if you get hungry ... "I really don't know if they eat turtles, but I think we should hang out for a while until they go away!" This is definitely not Kyoto. In Kyoto, they still have the red buckets as a common sight for putting out fires ... An indication that cuneiform writing had its origins in the grafitti pronouncement of an unrequited love ... Cuneiform writing however, has since evolved ... Under the bam, under the boo ... That's all folks! After a long day of relaxing in Japanese Gardens, it was time for the Bear to go haunt a Sushi Restaurant. I hope you all liked the pics. Black Bamboo ... Sorry, it's out of focus and I should have gone back and reshot, but didn't. I have a fondness for Iris. The following flower has a very pleasant spicy aroma ... Shucks! The drinking fountain is out of order ... Rock surfing ... Plant Labels for new seedlings heh heh! Another Plant Label? And the Rock Surfer Dudes are still playing out the waves ... This old lamp not only lights the path ahead, but you can stop and fry and egg on it if you get hungry ... "I really don't know if they eat turtles, but I think we should hang out for a while until they go away!" This is definitely not Kyoto. In Kyoto, they still have the red buckets as a common sight for putting out fires ... An indication that cuneiform writing had its origins in the grafitti pronouncement of an unrequited love ... Cuneiform writing however, has since evolved ... Under the bam, under the boo ... That's all folks! After a long day of relaxing in Japanese Gardens, it was time for the Bear to go haunt a Sushi Restaurant. I hope you all liked the pics.