Thank you for your answers everybody! crapemyrtles can have beautiful autumn foliage, and they're very common here so i'll definitely consider them as an option. Oh, and the flowers are a big plus! Cedar elms are pretty trees. I've seen them many, many times when traveling in Texas. However, I have read that on the southern part of their range, they tend to be evergreen, so I don't think they'll be an option. The bald cypress and the Sumac sound good to me, though! Mexican sugar maple isn't really native to Guadalajara, but rather to the higher mountains of Jalisco, my state. They're about a 5-hour drive from where I live and I think I'll go there next september. They're a really good option for my area, so thanks! I already have 2 ginkgo seedlings, since they seem to do rather well here. They DO have beautiful fall color, even in my warm city. Populus mexicana is a very sickly tree, even if they sometimes have a pleasant fall color (they also tend to be semi-evergeen here, ugh). I also like the red oak and [southern] red maple options. Do you know any good southern cultivars of acer rubrum? How about bradford pears? I've read they have great fall color too. Though I'm worried they'll develop a semi-evergreen habit here.

Thanks for the words of encouragement and photo ideas grannybj65, I have a really nice digital camera and plan to take LOTS of photos all along the way as I develop the garden. The photos linked here were taken by a good friend. I have an eye for good snapshots so once I'm down there I'll be taking dozens of photos from all angles and different weather conditions. The joy of digital photography - you never run out of film. LOL One of the things I like to do is take a series of photos from the same angle all day long on a sunny day to get a general idea of where the shady and sunny spots are. Doing that a few times throughout the year as the Earth changes kilter I'll perfect an image in my mind of where best to place different plants based on their light/shade tolerance. Looking at the photo of the front of the house dead-on, I just got a great idea. Facing the house, the living room is on the right side with the single window and the kitchen is on the left side with the double windows. In front of the double windows inside is the kitchen sink, so it is not a spot that will have tremendous "looking out the window" appeal. So, as the cogs turn in this hard head of mine, I'm visualizing lattice from the center pole on the porch going to the left corner, then around to where the porch meets the house. Then cutting a rectangular window out of the center of the front of the lattice and framing it a bit so there is a clear view out to the road from the kitchen window. And then I can visualize the lattice painted white (or more likely light gray as I'm not too fond of white outside) and covered in Scarlet Runner Bean and Clematis with maybe some "Joseph's Coat" (Amaranthus tricolor) in front and some dwarf Cannas with some "Love lies Bleeding" (Amaranthus sp.) along the side. The scarlet, violet, purple and deep reds and burgundys will all be in harmony with one another, at least until I decide on a totally different look down the road. I can have a nice metal frame rocking deck seat out on the porch hidden away behind the wall of vines where I can sit and enjoy the shade - and a good spray from the gardening hose on all the vines will create a nice cooling breeze. Well, it's a thought anyway. :) I saw on eBay this evening someone in San Diego California is selling several batches of Tillandsias (the common T. ionantha). They are offering them as a box of 50 child fist-sized clumps of them for around $20 if I recall - quite cheap. I immediately thought how neat it would be to buy 50 or 100 clumps and then carefully wire them to a wire-frame wreath for a living, blooming front door wreath, especially once the front porch is semi-latticed in and well shaded. A few sprigs of Spanish Moss draping down from the wreath here and there would further kick off the effect. It would live on the wet air, constantly regenerate itself with new growth, and bloom off and on throughout the year. During the colder months I could bring it inside and hang up it in the living room window where it can get plenty of bright indirect light. Ok, I'll shut up now.

Absolutely lovely! I'm saving this inspiration for sure! The darker floors and and cabinets on the other side are such a nice contrast. Unbelievable you got this done in 5 weeks, that is fantastic. I just had a small bathroom redone which was supposed to be a 2-3 week reno that turned into 6 months. However my husband did it and since he does it for work, well not so motivated at home-ha. Congrats on your beautiful kitchen! ~Cat

F...you have covered a lot of ground....and of course you will obtain some random and diverse comments from others. I have 20 avocado trees with 16 varieties...so I know a little bit on the subject. First concern: Talk to me about the "termite damage". I doubt if they are termites. You may not be aware that there is an outbreak of borers that have invaded the avocado industry. Google that. If your tree or branches are damaged to the point of unstable...that must be addressed with pruning or elimination. Item two: What is with the "rootstock side"? Was this tree not a nursery tree that was originally grafted? Ungrafted avo trees are almost always a waste of time. Grafting is done to clone the scion to the "mother tree". Ungrafted trees have a 99% chance of producing inferior trees/fruit. I see no problem pruning that tree if the branches left behind are stable/safe. That is your biggest concern. If you want to do some grafting (this Spring)...why not obtain another variety to add to that tree?