You people are great! So much input and so fast. So here's a little more info on what I'm thinking: - Privacy: We would like to have privacy in the yard. The windows are not an issue. We are in the yard a lot as soon as it's nice enough outside and practically have every meal outside. The neighbors use their yard not as much but often enough, the lady runs a day care out of her house, and they mainly use their back entrance for coming and going. Right now it's so open you bascially cannot not say Hi. And while they are nice, I'd like to have the option of ignoring them once in a while without seeming rude. :) So I guess, we don't need a castle just more view protection from their yard/walkway into our yard, especially our sitting area and my hammock. A picture of the other side of the yard from early summer so you can imagine the whole thing. On the patch of concrete in front of the hammock is now a table with 6 chairs. As you can see there's not so much sheltering us from the other neighbor either, but it's not so bad. The impression is different because of the oak tree "ceiling" and the rose bush (hard to see, it's hidden behind the tree from this perspective). And I've had some annual climbers grown on 5 ft supports. They came with the house and are not pretty but for now they'll do. Also, the neighbor is never in the yard and we rarely see him coming or going... Walkway: The first thing I wanted to get rid off was this ugly concrete path, especially since it cuts the yard in half like that. But after I figured out how much it would cost to remove the concrete and then to put down a more appealing alternative, and into how many plants/other yard structures that would convert, my plan for now is to try to develop a plan around the existing walkway, maybe add arches for depth, a focal point in the middle of the pathway, have the "rooms" go off to the side of the path, and stain the concrete a dark color. No lawn yard: I'm really in a total starting phase. I went outside and measured everything yesterday. When I get it on graphing paper and some ideas down I will run it by you guys. So far the following ideas are floating in my head: Since it would be better if the pathway could stay, my thought was to go with the geometry of the space (square) and have square four rooms that go off from the path. The patio will stay where it is. It's convenient too because of the shade from the oak tree. I would like to make the hammock area into a retreat corner. Surrounding vegetation for that should be at least chest high. For the back right side there are a few things in my head but nothing concrete yet. It has the most sun. A sitting spot with a rockgarden. Or with perennials centering around peonies. Or... On the left side the front may be kept open for a child play area maybe with sandbox. I may actually keep the lawn there or replace it with a no mow stepable groundcover. But I would want to widen the flowerbed or planting area next to the fence at least a few feet. Then something to divide the "childplay room" from the back left. I was thinking of a veggie garden there since it gets decent sun, but I'm not yet sure how much we'll be here enough during the crictical months of the summer. It may have to be a yard to be enjoyed in early and late summer. If not veggies, then I don't know yet. All this hasn't been scatched out so I have no idea if I'm trying to cram much too much into our small yard and should depart from the four room idea. Fence: It's stained from what I can tell. And it's worn off in quite a few places. I'm from Germany and I don't know what people do with the fences here in this climate. I'll find out. Re: the privacy issue so far I like the idea of supports that maybe mimmick the shape of the pickets maybe just part of the whole length. I worry that posts and wires will not look good. I will also look into tall, narrow pergolas, but I find the structures usually too "heavy" for our little yard. Or just plain ugly looking. ;) But maybe there are some out there that could fit the bill. Karin, what would you do if the pathway was to stay? I liked your thinking, I just don't think it's in the budget... Hmh... lots to think about... Thanks so much already. And keep it coming.

Thanks (about the name)lol. My husband and I can work side by side in the garden and he looks pristine while I am a filthy mess. In fact...he can spend the whole day out there, get a lot done, and still look clean but I look filthy after only a couple hours. I don't get it. Good thing I don't mind looking dirty in my garden. I kind of wear it like a badge. :=) Anyway...about the pruning. I will consider that, but I learned (the hard way) that it is MUCH better to give the plant room to grow than to get the pruners out and constantly fight the nature intentions of the plant. I'm sure you would agree. I my early days of gardening, I made a lot of mistakes and have planted, transplanted, and transplanted again so many plants that I cannot begin to guess the number. I still find that I do a lot of transplanting, but much less often and for different reasons. Perrenials are one thing....large and/or expensive conifers are completely different. Last year I lost four Concolor Firs (each about 5 feet tall) because I had to transplant them. (I loved them where they were but they were along a fence that we moved...long story). I had got them on sell for $125 each, but still...that was a very expensive AND labor intensive loss. They were beautiful but we transplanted them a year after we originally planted them and it was just too much stress for them. It broke my heart.

Don't despair just yet. I checked a fact sheet from Rutgers (NJ) Cooperative Extension, "Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance" and this is just a fraction of the plants listed: Annuals rarely damaged: Snapdragon, angel's trumpet, dusty miller, cleome, larkspur, snow-on-the-mountain, heliotrope, sweet alyssum, forget-me-not, nicotiana, poppy Biennials: Common foxglove (digitalis purpurea) is rarely damaged; seldom severely damaged are sweet william, money plant and forget-me-not. Bulbs rarely damaged: Allium, bluebell, snowdrops, daffodil. All ferns seem to be rarely damaged. Groundcovers rarely damaged: Lily of the Valley, sweet woodruff, others Lots of ornamental grasses are listed as rarely damaged. Perennials rarely damaged: Monkshood, anise hyssop, wild and European gingers, purple rock-cress, baptisia, threadleaf coreopsis, corydalis, bleeding hearts dicentra eximia and d. spectabilis, hellebores, dame's rocket, iris, lavendar, statice, rose campion, forget-me-not, peony, Russian sage, pulmonaria, garden sage, lavender cotton, lamb's ear ... And a whole long list of others seldom severely damaged. Shrubs rarely damaged: Heather and heath, daphne, caryopteris, broom, pieris ... and a long list of more seldom severely damaged. Vines seldom severely damaged: American bittersweet, winter jasmine and wisteria. That's just a taste; there are six pages in all! Below is a link to the Rutgers site for this publication; you might find it easier to download and refer to the PDF version, as the plants are grouped a little more clearly. Latin names are provided as well. As others have said, your house has wonderful bones and Linda did a great job with Photoshop. What fun it will be (as well as hard work) to make your dreams for your home and yard a reality. FYI, at the front of our house I did create a little garden similar to the one you originally proposed. It is between the driveway and the front door, southern exposure, and was to be my "winter garden" ... but then we built a pond in the back yard and now we seem to gravitate there no matter what the season. It's still a lovely, welcoming spot, though. Please do keep us posted ... I'll be looking foward to seeing some updated photos when you're ready. Here is a link that might be useful: Plants Rated by Deer Resistance

Virginia, re 'Dr Grill', I can't really recall the leaves or buds, but the blooms I do remember as being distinctly paler/ less vibrant overall than your illustration - a palest ivory or blush white background deepening into delicate washes of warm pinks and yellows like those illustrated. But I'm guessing your illustration may be taken from a European - perhaps French or English source? That might explain the deeper colouring. I may have only/ mainly seen them on warm/ hot days in Australia, in temperatures unknown in northern climes. I would think it could well be the same rose. Wandering the overflowing beds and aisles of teas and other old roses I was often drawn to this rose's particular subtle beauty, but on discovering who he was, was put off by the less than delicate/ romantic sounding name! In that, he instantly dropped a place from top to second level in my mental scale of 'must have'/ perfect roses... fool that I was... FWIW, I believe Adam in Western Australia had one, that may be the same as 'my' remembered Ross Roses 'Dr Grill', but I don't recall if it was one of the selection he brought with him from the old house.