Your house is LOVELY! Really, it has so much curb appeal. The cat is a nice touch in the photos as well :) I agree that the big green ball-looking shrubs are not doing the house any favors. There are much nicer things you can put in that spot. First things first, I would layout beds so that your mowing/edging work is as easy as possible. I always think it's easy to lay mulch down in an unusual shape compared to mowing an unusual shape. So I agree with the person who said to add plants along the retaining walls. I would use something pretty low growing that will die back in the winter because I'm assuming you have a snow blower that will toss snow onto that area. So, avoid shrubs. Suggestions for the areas alongside the retaining wall: Heuchera (many varieties like part shade) - for really great foliage color all summer and fall Brunnera for contrast with the Heuchera. As a bonus, deer are less likely to eat both of these plants. I understand the deer population on Long Island can be hard on plants Daffodils - also deer-resistant, lots of spring color, and they live forever. For in front of the house, where the green globes are, it depends on if you spend time on the porch or not. If you do then I'd look for something that smells good interplanted with some evergreens. If you don't spend time out there, then I'd use boxwood and something to contrast with it. If you have 4 hours of sun, then pieris floribunda is a shorter version of Andromeda that would contrast with boxwood. It can tolerate partial shade but it can grow to 6' so you may have to prune it back (I had this & it survived pruning quite well, I had to keep it to 4' tall or less). This is getting long, so my last suggestion will be related to the bed with the weeping cherry. Right now there is a tongue of grass that you have to mow between that bed and the edge of the walkway. I think that area would be better used with some plants in there. And it would make your mowing pattern easier :) Pick something that is not thorny and not a big bee magnet since you'll walk by it all the time. Maybe a hydrangea (though they like morning sun better than afternoon, they will do fine in afternoon sun - mine are HUGE). Just look for a smallish one since they can become huge. I would suggest peonies there, since they die back 100% and you can pile snow from the walkway over them in the winter, but I don't know if you have enough sun that close to the house. Seriously though, that is a really pretty house. You don't have to get super-cute on the landscape because the house is already stunning. Think of it like a gorgeous gown at the Oscars - just some classic jewelry, hair, and makeup is all you need to enhance it without distracting from it (as opposed to the "plain black dress" that needs lots of jewelry to make it red-carpet worthy).

I cannot help but try local grower NOT A BIG BOX STORE. on the otherhand its relative cheep... try internet may find a source of a small package of IBA (Indolbuteric acid 0.9%)

Thanks all again! Fortunately... in the heart of Long Island suburbia and a hop away from NYC where I work, I was able to touch and feel literally every appliance possible. Just no gas/water. I double checked the Eletrolux double ovens (old vs new).... To be honest, I couldn't really tell much of a difference in regards to better made or not. Did look different, but nothing I could point to specifically. The rails did seem to be less smooth on the newer ones, but maybe it was due to the install. In some ways, I thought the Kitchen Aid and Bosch seemed more sturdy on the inside. Maybe it's just me. Wife thought the Electrolux was hands down the best (looking). It was still cheaper to buy the Electrolux with a 5yr extended warranty... so I am hedging my bet on this one. I switched to the Bosch 500 DLX dishwasher. Just felt that it was a better product. Haggled the price down a little more to justify the switch. Switched to the Faber Tender chimney hood for a little more. Wife thought it looked better. As for Berta... I checked the Bluestar, Capital, Viking, Miele, Dacor, Thermador, FiveStar, American, DCS ( just to see what I was missing on the high end)... The ones I just mentioned are basically in their own price point (and to some extend better). Berta being 25%-50% less expensive... is in the price point of a Kenmore Pro range top and cheaper than a Kitchen Aid. So the Berta was technically an upgrade for me. Those smaller Bertas are popular NYC apartments fixtures that can't afford pumping out a Viking. I've pretty much made my purchase today. (Sink will have to be purchased elsewhere.) I was told I have the option of switching some of my appliances before delivery. I was able to get pricing barely down below AJMadison... and secured cheaper white glove shipping. All for the sake of keeping below the $10k budget. Thanks all for your help! Will definitely provide an update on the status of the appliances. This post was edited by nyli2014 on Sun, Dec 28, 14 at 1:53

I vaguely remembered some of your posts/concerns so I just reread a bunch of stuff. Watering was one issue and your seed mix which contained blue grass/rye/fescue was another. Did you ever actually measure your irrigation with cans or some other sort of gauge? I completely understand your math about how much water your meter says you used, but that does not mean that the measured water actually hit its intended target. I have had neighbors who had broken valves/pipes/etc and could never figure out why they spent so much on water but their grass never performed well. Helping them uncover numerous irrigation problems solved years of concerns they had. The other issue of ryegrass/fescue can be fixed with overseeding a more heat tolerant grass variety. Overseeding should probably an annual Fall event for you since some of your rye and fescue will die off in the Summer heat. Trying to pick cultivars that are better for your area may be helpful also.