Don't paint yourself into a corner! Since you gave us no detail or even a photo of the house, my depiction of it on the lot was one big guess. How did I get so close? Modern lots almost never have a front building setback less than 25ft. And a developer will resist increasing the setback on 75 by 133ft lots as the backyard gets squeezed and the longer driveway cost goes up with length. Normal construction on lots with some cross slope is to put the drive on the high side. The house is normally set near the setback to minimize the drive cost and the shape of the front of this lot works better with a house with a protruding garage. Starting from the back with the 50ft given to the house, adding my guess as to house depth and a guess of the garage protrusion, I have a bit of extra space to the setback. It made me wonder if the 50ft back yard was a measured dimension or a guess. So now I have the whole lot and the first thing I look at is the drainage. In the backyard I'm guessing the water now flows across the yard over a wide area as sheet flow without any problems of erosion. Regardless of what you do in the backyard, water will have to continue to cross the back yard. Consider the outcome if you start planting trees. Suppose in the future you build a nice patio and take up a good part of the 50ft yard. In the profile below note that the grade from the patio will have to slant down and if the trees are planted on a downslope from the property line, then you have concentrated all the drainage to a much smaller area. This could result in wet spots or erosion. You would be faced with the lesser of two evils; live with the problem or tear out the trees and regrade. It's better to consider the whole of the backyard and any future uses. Make sure the grade and drainage support your long range plans before you start planting grass and trees.

Hi All, I know I've been MIA for a few weeks. Work has been taking over lately. I just posted my trade list on the FTW Garden swap site. I added my pre-trades as I culled them from this page. Please review to see if I'm still on track. I'm going to try to accommodate everyone's rain lily requests. If I don't have enough of the yellow rain lily seeds to go around, I may be able to entice you with some minima seeds. Minimas are the most adorable tiny pale pink rain lilies. The flowers are less than a half inch in diameter. As a bonus, they go from seed to blooming in one year! I have about a dozen minima seed pods in my pots right now. I'll try to harvest some before the swap. Looking forward to meeting you all, JK

For shade I'm very fond of sweet potato vine mixed with the burgundy coleus strains. This coleus, although burgundy when I planted it, is turning rust colored on me though. Still like them together though. I also like caladiums in shade or mostly shade. This year I set out some "Strap Leaf Pink Symphony" And as many have already said, I love Turk's Cap also. Have pink in one garden out back and red ones both out back and out front. They just come back after a hard prune each year, tolerate the freezes and "keep on ticking" with zero care really. And last but not least for shade, I adore Algerian Ivy. I have not used it as a ground cover, but in a hanging basket on my house back wall, protected from direct sun by the roof overhang. It's much longer now than when I took this photo. :) I may try some as ground cover as well. I have several difficult shady spots in my big back yard garden that are bordered by sidewalk and house, so it should stay put, so long as it doesn't start to grab the brick. I can just pull it down/off if it does.

Agastache aurantiaca (Orange Hummingbird Mint): Apricot Sprite – Apricot Sunrise – Fragrant Carpet – Fragrant Delight – Just Peachy – Lavender Martini – Navajo Sunset – Peach Margarita – Raspberry Daiquiri – Shades of Orange – Sprite Lilac – Sunset Yellow – Tango Agastache cana and cana x (hummingbird mint): Bolero – Heather Queen Agastache foeniculum and foeniculum x (anise hyssop): Arcado Pink – Arizona Mix – Arizona Sandstone – Arizona Sun – Arizona Sunset – Astello Indigo – Asturo White – Blue Fountain – Blue Spike – Bolero – Snow Spike Agastache mexicana (Mexican Giant Hyssop): Champagne – Sangria Agastache pallid and pallida x: Globetrotter – Rose Queen Agastache rugosa (Korean mint): Golden Jubilee – Korean mint – Liquorice/Licorice Blue – Liquorice/Licorice White ­ Agastache nepetoides (yellow giant hyssop) Agastache rupestris (threadleaf giant hyssop aka licorice mint hyssop) Agastache schrophularifolia (purple giant hyssop) Ageratum (floss flower): Aloha Blue – Blue Danube – Blue Diamond – Blue Leilani – Blue Planet – Fields Blue – Hawaii – Purple Fields – Red Top – White Bouquet Alcea rosea (hollyhock): Chater's Double Apricot – Halo series – Majorette Antirrhinum majus (snapdragon): Aroma series – Axiom series – Apple Blossom – Bronze Dragon – Frosted Sunset – Madame Butterfly – Peaches and Cream – Peach Breeze – Plum Blossom – Rembrandt – Royal Bride – Terracotta – Tutti Frutti Asarina (snapdragon vine or creeping snapdragon) Asclepias purpurescens (purple butterfly weed) Aster tongolensis (aster, East Indies) Bacopa Begonia tuberhybrida Calendula (pot marigold, English marigold): Antares Flashback – Apricots and Oranges – Apricot Twist – Art Shades – Citrus Smoothies – Deja Vu – Fruit Twist – Geisha Girl – Indian Prince – Neon – Oktoberfest – Solar Flashback – Sunshine Flashback Callistephus chinensis (China aster): Andrella – Blue Ribbon – China Pink – Daylight – Double Rainbow – Floretta Champagne – Fireworks – Giant Perfection – Giants of California – Idyll – Perfection – Pink Tower – Serenade – Spider Chrysanthemum – Standy Ceratotheca triloba (South African foxglove) Cladanthus arabicus (Palm Springs daisy): Golden Crown Cobaea scandens (cup & saucer Vine, cathedral bells): Royal Plum Coreopsis: Heaven’s Gate – Presto – Tetra Giants Cosmos: Cosmic series – Double Click – Snow Sonata Craspedia globosa (drumsticks, billy buttons) Cuphea: Bat Face Cuphea – Purple Passion Delosperma (ice plant) Deschampsia cespitosa (tufted hair grass) Dianthus (Pinks): Allwood Pinks (Dianthus alwoodii): – Amur River Pinks – Arctic Fire – Baths Pinks (Cheddar Pinks): – Black and White Minstrels – Cinnamon Red Hots – Cranberry Ice – Diana – Devon Sarah – First Love – Micro Chips – Neon Star – Raspberry Swirl – Summer Sundae – Superbus Diascia: Apricot Queen – Diamonte – Rose Queen Doeonicum: Little Leo Dorotheanthus bellidiformis (Livingstone or Livingston daisy, ice plant): Apricot Tutu – Magic Carpet – Sparkles Eustoma grandiflorum (lisianthus): any – Cinderella – Double Eagle – Echo – Sapphire Fuchsia Gaillardia pulchella (blanketflower): Arizona Red Shades – Commotion series – Mesa series – Mesa Bright – Mesa Yellow – Summer's Kiss – Tokajer – Torch series Gelsemium sempervirens (Carolina jessamine) Geranium, hardy: Vision Violet Helianthus (sunflower): Apricot Twist – Bicentenary – Coconut Ice – Earthwalker – Evening Sun – Frilly – Indian Blanket – Music Box – Pastiche – Prado Yellow – Razzmatazz – Solar Eclipse – Sundance Kid – Starburst Lemon Aura – The Bees Knees – Valentine Helichrysum (licorice Plant/trailing licorice): Silver Mist Heliopsis (false sunflower): Loraine Sunshine – Prairie Sunset – Prairie Nights Impatiens: Accent Premium Bright Eye Lepechinia hastata (false salvia) Leucanthemum (shasta daisy): White Knight Leymus arenarius (blue dune grass, lyme grass) Lopezia cordata (mosquito flower): Pretty Rose Monarda lambada (bee balm) Morina longifolia (whorlflower) Nassella tenuissima (feather grass) Nipponanthemum nipponicum (Montauk daisy aka Nippon daisy) Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian sage) Osteospermum (cape daisy, African daisy): Akila – Asti Papaver (Poppy): Blackcurrant Fizz – Burgundy Frills – Fruit Punch – Ooh La La – Violetta Blush Penstemon eatonii (firecracker penstemon) Penstemon gloxinoides (border penstemon) Penstemon superbus (superb penstemon Pentas lanceolata: any – Butterfly Sparkles – New Look Perilla: Fantasy Petunia: any hybrid commercial seed – Shock Wave Phlox drummondii (Phlox): Creme Brulee – Promise – Moody Blues – Phlox of Sheep – Summer Majesty – Watercolor Memories Phlox hybrida: Peppermint Candy Phlox paniculata (tall phlox): any harvested in 2018 Phyls nodiflora (frogfruit): Portulaca grandiflora (moss rose): Happy Hour – Kariba – Margarita – Sundial – Toucan Prunella: Freelander series – Loveliness series Rhodochiton atrosanguineum (purple bell vine) Rudbeckia hirta (black-eyed susan/gloriosa daisy): Chim Chiminee – Hot Chocolate – Radiance Salvia algeriensis (Algerian sage) Salvia argentea (silver sage) Salvia azurea (azure blue sage aka pitcher sage) Salvia chiapensis (Chiapas sage) Salvia darcyi (Darcy’s Mexican sage) Salvia desoleana (Sardinian sage) Salvia dumetorum aka Salvia stepposa (Siberian sage) Salvia flava var. megalantha aka Salvia bulleyana Salvia glutinosa (Jupiter’s distaff) Salvia hians (Kashmir sage) Salvia involucrata (rosebud salvia) Salvia koyamae (Japanese yellow sage) Salvia leucantha (Mexican bush sage) Salvia longispicata x :Big Blue Sage Salvia madrensis (forsythia sage) Salvia napifolia (Turkish sage) Salvia nubicola (Himalayan cloud sage) Salvia nemorosa aka Salvia sylvestris var. nemorosa (woodland sage): Adora Blue – New Dimension Blue – New Dimension Rose – Blue Queen – Rose Queen Salvia nutans (nodding sage) Salvia pachyphylla (desert mountain sage) Salvia patens (Gentian sage) Salvia pratensis (meadow sage) Salvia regla (mountain sage) Salvia reptans aka Salvia leptophylla (slenderleaf sage aka cobalt sage) Salvia roemeriana (cedar sage) Salvia sclarea (clary sage) Salvia stenophylla (blue mountain sage) Salvia subrotunda (hummingbird sage) Salvia taraxacifolia (dandelion sage) Salvia texana (Texas sage) Salvia tiliifolia (lindenleaf sage) Salvia transsylvanica (Transylvanian sage): Blue Cloud Salvia uliginosa (bog sage) Salvia verticillata (lilac sage): Purple Fairy Tale Salvia verticillata subsp. verticillata aka Salvia regeliana Salvia viridis aka Salvia horminum sage (painted sage) : Pink Sunday Solidago rugosa (goldenrod): Fireworks Tanacetum corymbosum ( wild meadow tansy) Teucrium chamaedris ( germander Thalictrum Rochebruneanum – lavender mist meadow rue Scabiosa (Pincushion Flower): Oxford Blue - Summer Sundae Stachys albotomentosa (7up Plant) Stipa tenuissima (feather grass) Sultera cordata (Bacopa): any - Blue Dawn - Bluetopia - Cotton Candy - Silk N Satin - Snowtopia Symphyotrichum novae angliae (New England Aster, Michaelmas Daisy): red - Alma Baby - Chilly Winds - Honeysong Pink - Red Star - September Ruby Tagetes (marigold): Capriccio – Fire Ball – Moonstruck – Scarlet Sophie – Snowdrift – Sunburst Orange Splash – Zenith Red Tagetes lemmonii (Copper Canyon daisy) Tagetes lucida (Mexican mint marigold aka Texas tarragon) Thunbergia alata (blackeyed susan Vine): Salmon Shades – Sunrise Surprise – Superstar Orange Verbascum: Clementine – Copper Rose – Flush of White – Rosetta – Snow Maiden – Violetta Verbena: Crystal Ball – Peaches & Cream Veronica grandis (heartleaf speedwell) Veronica longifolia (garden speedwell) Veronica spicata: Blue Bouquet or other Viola (pansy): Antique Shades – Atlas – Chalon Supreme – Freefall – Matrix – Panola Picotee Shades – other named varieties – but no johnny jump-ups Wedelia texana (Zexmenia) HERBS Lavender: Elegance series – Hidcote – Lavance – Multifida aka Fernleaf – Munstead – Spanish – Vincenza - White Ice Thymus (thyme): Lavender - Lemon - Lime - Orange - Silver VEGETABLES Beans: Helda – Selma Zebra Broccoli: Red Arrow – Redhead – Rudolph – Summer Purple – White Eye Jicama aka Yam Bean Lettuce: Asian Red – Forellenschluss – Gentilina – Rouge Grenobloise – Lollo Bionda – Lollo Rossa – May Queen – Mignonette Bronze – Outredgeous – Petite Rouge – Rouge De Grenoblouse Melon: Early Silverline Okra: Bowling Red – Edna Slaton’s Candelabra Pepper: Big Red – Mandarin – Sheepnose Pimento – Tennessee Cheese – Tequila Sunrise – Tunisian Baklouti – White Lakes – Yellow Monster Pumpkin/ Winter Squash: Autumn Crown – Gill's Golden Pippin – Golden Delicious – Melonette Jaspee De Vende – Red Warty Thing aka Victor – Sucrine Du Berry – Thai Kang Kob – Thai Rai Kaw Tok Spinach: Apollo - Merlo Nero - Monstrueux De Viroflay - Scenic - Viridis Tomatillo: Amarylla – Pineapple – Purple – Purple Coban – Rio Grande Verde – Verde – Verde Puebla Tomatoes: These hybrid tomatoes even if seeds are old or collected from next generation MERCED SAN REMO CABERNET (the large tomato, not the new cherry tomato with the same name)