I was planning on bumping the center curves out in a year or two - thinking of a tree there to add more vertical lines to that side of the yard.

The rocks we inherited when we moved here. A ton of them. With a grass control spraying once or twice a season, we have found they're a snap to keep clean - but I would like to switch them out for a different border as the budget allows...the plants set us back and we need to replenish funds.

Be patient. Things just need to grow.

Thanks. You're right. I'll just focus on the backyard where the more mature landscaping is and try to keep the front out of mind this season - except for maintenance.

It's never going to be "done" anyway. I'm a gardener!

I would replace some of the hostas along the driveway with purple heucheras, which would look nice with your dogwoods. It's a little too much sameness and "soldiers-in-a-row" along the driveway and walkway. You've repeated that with all upright plants in front of the arborvitae too.

Is that a grouping of daylilies on the skinny end? They look too close together and oddly spaced. I would get rid of that pointy "tail" all together and use just three plants there.

Are you wanting to move plants now or is it too late in the season for your zone? Hostas and daylilies never resent late-moving in my zone. I think a few tweaks in plant placement will make a big difference.

You're definitely right, @mayflowers. I divided and moved the sun power hosta on the driveway edge from another spot last year. They were here before we moved in. I wanted to see how they took before deciding their final spot and they are thriving. Definitely easy to relocated - some are probably going to the mailbox garden, as they're relatively bulletproof.

At this point, I am intending to bring the driveway garden forward and around to meet the arborvitae garden.

Agreed on daylilies as well, and those are a cinch to move. I figure next season there will be many more spots to plunk a few here and there amongst other plants so it isn't too monotonous.

I'll look into the plant you suggested for the driveway side. Snow is always a problem here.

On the arborvitae side, there are only two daylilies each at the top and bottom. In the middle are a mix of coreopsis, coneflower and glorious daisies, as well as a few hydrangeas, boxwoods, dwarf Shasta daisies and spirea. A new ivory halo dogwood will help fill out the foundation sight line as well.

Thinking of extending the dripline for the crabapple in the center and planting a mini wildflower meadow in there and then creating a gravel/paver path within the areas that are left between all of the garden spots.

I would want several feet between shrubs and perennials and arborvitae. But a deeper bed will change the curve leading to the sidewalk near the porch, which looks like a wide, gentle curve. I'd keep the curve as is, so I would think about using the plants you have with the arborvitae in other beds. I don't care for the look of an arborvitae garden. What is in that garden between the arborvitae and the porch?

A new ivory halo dogwood will help fill out the foundation sight line as well.

Is this a third dogwood you're thinking about adding? And where? I would limit it to the two in the big bed.

One other thought--a wildflower garden can look messy in the front. I don't like them when the rest of the plantings are neat and tidy, like hostas, and in a homogeneous neighborhood development like yours. I try to keep the wild things in a separate garden not seen from the street.

Yes, the plants we have in front of the arbs will definitely need to be relocated as the shrubs get larger. That bed will basically be just arborvitae and a few companion shrubs at the wider sections of the curve.

The other dogwood mentioned is actually closer to the porch and behind the boxwoods (can't really see in the photos so I shouldn't have mentioned them).

We have had success in other areas with some wildflower plantings in between more composed plantings. One is a peonie and wildflower garden. The big peonie "bushes" offer some contrast with the wildflowers and there are two rather large shrubs at each end. We also have a wildflower garden next to a shed at the end of a long line of fence line arbs.

Noted about the wildflowers. Perhaps a more composed stand of specific "wildflowers" in groupings (Shastas, black eyed Susans, coneflower). I'd like waterwise plantings near any trees so the trees aren't competing but still get their soil fed ever fall/winter.

Also, I'm not a great lover of arborvitae either, but our entire street was clear cut of its older pine trees by the power company/city and we live on a hill. Desperately needed some sort of windbreak that's tough enough for our zone 5 temperatures and low growing enough that the powers that be (so to speak) won't want to yank them next.

I'm preferring to look at it as a future green wall...not unattractive, really...just kind of "there".

I see it as a green fence. I'm thinking of you having to dig in the root zone to remove the perennials in a few years. The row of arborvitae really does look fine on its own. By focusing the flowering plants in the front of the house, it draws the eye there, which is really where you want it to go.

You make a solid point there. I can easily move them this year. If I really feel like I need color, annuals or even sedum could work for any "blanks". It's very difficult to see the future and plant for it sometimes - particularly when you're looking multiple years forward on a larger scale!

Thank you so much for taking the time to give another perspective. Usually I get an "I can't help you; I have a brown thumb" from my mom and a "I don't care as long as I don't have to mow it" from my husband.

Shan, please stand on the sidewalk and take a picture from there. We are not getting the full view with the pictures you have submitted.

Yes, that would be helpful. Like I said in my first post, there are a few placement issues, and I'm not clear where everything is. The shrub and grass placement is the most important. The maiden grass that I've seen needs a lot of space.

I'm wondering if you could round out that curve in front of the skinny tail, eliminating it, and move your hydrangea there. I'm assuming that's it in front of an arborvitae, and I definitely wouldn't want a hydrangea there.

We are getting storms today, so I can't take more photos. Sorry they're not the best perspective.

The quickfire hydrangea is in a huge empty space (10 feet square after accounting for the arborvitae full growth) and will fill it up in time. I hadn't yet planted it when the photo was taken.

I am in completely agreement about the "tail"...I suppose I'm treating that as a holding spot for now, until the larger plants spread in and claim their ground permanently. Daylilies are so easy to just dig up and move in my zone, so I'm not really worried at least for this season.

Because that tail is so weird, I will likely round it up and ultimately widen the swath leading to the other landscaping along the walk; will toss in a stepping stone or two so that it's easy to access the yard and put in a few compact evergreens or something. Facing the house, that will frame the doorway from the street too.

So, I'm less worried about the placement of the smaller hardier plants, since they're always going to be moved and divided and moved again. Can't stop tinkering!

I'm also not certain that maiden grass (gracilimus) is going to do well, or if I even like it...it's nice in the winter and for a few months of summer but God is it awful to look at from about February to mid June. Our landscaper said we'd love it...but I think I'm probably going to replace it before it gets too big. In a warmer zone, it's probably a more satisfying plant, since it perks up earlier

I'll wait a few more weeks and take a photo when things actually look alive. We had a slow spring here in upstate NY. Fortunately, we are pretty safe to move most plants around until early July. Otherwise, I can wait until September. Fortunately, most everything is young enough/hardy enough to be moved this year/next year.

Still working on plant placement - waiting to see if the second gracillimus maiden grass intends on springing back to life - but we have started the process of elongating the bed lines and connecting everything. I'm excited to share the final result...whenever that is. Weather and my lower back are slowing me down!!

My back and the weather obliged today. I thank you all for your advice. Softening the lines has made a tremendous difference. In time, we will add another ornamental tree under the power lines up front toward the driveway and slowly create a short hedgerow across the front to enclose everything.

Plant placement is still a bit funky, but I believe that with the new bed-room, all will find better homes with better spacing as the season progresses.

Thanks to everyone for some really useful ideas. I'm especially interested in looking for some heucheras that thrive in this zone. I believe I'll be adding a few sum and substance hosta in the front along the drive as well...to add more heft and interest.

There's a discussion in Perennials about purple heucheras right now. I think the person who started it is in Canada so you might get some ideas for your zone.

Thank you! I have to visit the nursery soon too. We have a great once that I've been avoiding until June. It's always a gamble planting new things here until then. We just had snow a bit north of here a week ago.

I would go nuts with such a short gardening season. I've been in the garden since February here in Oregon. It's as pretty as NY here too, with lots of bulbs, lilacs, dogwoods, and rhodies. Good place for a former NYer (Hudson Valley).

I'm thinking Northern California...so we are on a similar page

I've lived there too, in the Sacramento area. There's much more plant variety in Oregon. I'm in the heart of nursery country. It was a joy to see lilacs again after living in CA for 20 years. That's one of my favorite "May flowers", though they bloom the beginning of April here.

We have three lilac shrubs. I would miss them...but by the time I can actually retire to anywhere new, I probably won't want to garden anymore. Ha!

Another addition. So glad the landscaper screwed this up. It forced me to really transform the yard!

It seems to be an improvement.

I like the new tree and the flagstones. You could probably remove the grass to the left of the tree along the driveway. You might make a straight shot to the road with the edging and just have the tree in the lawn, like the other one, which looks fine while they're small. Less of a mowing headache too.

Probably true - bit by bit! Mowing isn't too bad actually. The curves are just long/wide enough that the mower navigates no sweat. I'm thinking of just adding a path in front of the landscaping over time and getting rid of the lawn altogether, but the budget and my lower back constrains me to a few more reclaimed square feet per year

Oh, and I think the mailbox will be moving to the front bit where the grass is - between the end of the scape and the road. So, inevitably, this will expand the whole way.

Looks good, but I would eventually shape the beds with an eye towards ease of mowing around them. Those pavers I'm sure help a lot. You can just use plain mulch with a cut edge for creating a bed. As long as it is working good for you, enjoy! I am dead lazy when it comes to mowing but enjoy gardening, so I'm always enlarging beds and shrinking the lawn.

Exactly. It's already quite easy to mow around. The pavers are great - just pop one wheel on them and roll. No edging needed. Ha!

That's really interesting for me!

How is it interesting, "Basil King"?