Please note that the walk grade slope along its length does not matter at all, only that it should be a smooth walking surface. The important part is the cross slope that carries the water over the curb to the gutter, which should closely match the grading detail I provided. The transition areas can deviate from the standard cross slope if the area is higher in grade than the adjacent areas with the proper cross slope. Looking at your latest graphic I see a 10% slope from point B to C. This looks suspect to me, since this area should be one conforming to the standard grading detail and the lengthwise slope of the walk edges should be the same as the slope along the curb. Since the overall street slope is around 4 to 5%, it seems unlikely that any section of the curb would have a 10% slope. On the subject of cost, I would think you might need around 2 cy yd of fill to bring the walk up to grade. The best fill would be a something like a select road base material. In my area the cost runs around $15/yd from the crusher and up to twice that from a material supplier, plus trucking cost. Here we have some mineral soil types with clay (not top soil!) that can be compacted to support walks and drives that only carry light loads. Never use a clay with lumps. It will leave voids and result in settlement. You might want to look at renting a plate compactor for this project. A thin layer of sand on top of the base material can facilitate getting the pavers set for a smooth surface.

Beautiful gardens, everyone! Here's our front garden, at least the part to the right of the driveway and garage which dominates the front of the house. It's a little cottagey. A little naturalistic. A little native-y. As a result, a bit of a jumble. I hope to eventually dig out the rest of the grass...and I badly need a walkway from the sidewalk to the front door so people don't have to come up the driveway to get to the front door...but that probably won't happen until we put our daughter through college.

Lots of things to consider. Where are you located? What state? Location has a lot to do with what you should and/or could plant. Stone fruit is usually advised to plant in full sun with good air circulation. Many even prune their trees open centered or vase shape to let more sun in and air flows better. Thus, growing stone fruit as a hedge may not be a good idea. Also, you need to think long-term, those tiny sticks can grow tall, far and wide. Planting only 1 ft from a fence will force you to consider a certain way of pruning it. A plum can put out 3-4 ft branches in all directions in a growing season. Let's start with what state do you live in?

You may be mistaking what the Master Gardener program is all about :-) The title itself is unfortunate as it gives an impression of a knowledge or skill level that is not necessarily present. 50 hours of training over a broad base of topics does not make one a 'master' anything!! I have a degree in horticulture that required 135 credit hours or about 1800 physical hours to achieve and I don't consider myself any kind of 'master' either! It has been proposed that the title be changed to that of 'Extension Volunteer' but that has not been uniformly accepted. In exchange for this training, Master Gardeners are required to volunteer a minimum of 50 hours in the first year and 25 hours each subsequent year. MG's must complete a minimum of 12 hours of continuing education per year, starting their second year. And the restrictions with the program are nationwide - Master Gardeners must not use their title in any form of commercial advertisement. The Master Gardener program is a public service community outreach program established to provide unbiased information, and the title “Master Gardener” is to be used only when conducting unpaid volunteer work in the program. It cannot be used in association with any paid garden-related activity. To do so is to risk removal from the program and a cancellation of any MG certification. I don't mean to imply that all MG's have only a moderate skill level. Some are extremely knowledgeable well beyond their limited training. But just having a title of Master Gardener does not translate into being a highly skilled garden professional. And again the program prohibits them from accepting any pay using that title. The 'expert' thing is hard to pin down :-) Most experts never refer to themselves as 'expert' as they are likely more aware than anyone that gardening is a constant learning experience and they never know all there is to know. But you may find a garden coach or mentor from referrals at local nurseries and garden centers. Or you can try here: California Garden Coaches