As it stands now, the path system is pretty much the dominant central feature of the yard. I can imagine that if it were built with a pronounced color material, it would stand out like a sore thumb. The garden might make a better central feature. I am not submitting this sketch as THE solution for your paths, but only as a sample of how you could clean up the geometry of the layout. I think you should first think about if the shape of any of the elements of your yard could be made more functional and then, more interesting. As an example I changed the raised beds to make them more reflective of the shape of the deck. Doing that and moving them over a little bit helped to eliminate almost duplicate paths, which look like they might both end up being slightly pinched in your layout. After giving the elements themselves another brainstorming session, I'd draw the route--simply as "lines in the grass"--that you would walk to all the elements, for whatever reasons you would go. After you see all the routes, then look for any opportunities to adjust the location of the element to improve the route. After adjusting the best you can, apply geometric beautification to your routes. This is where you simplify, organize and search for attractive patterns... primarily using geometric shapes. (If you go all cattywampus here, figure on it not looking good.) For example, I can see another way that K could be connected. It's the path that I didn't color in. Whether it works, or not, depends on the routes that you've identified. (Which I have no knowledge of; my drawing is just bouncing off of the paths that you submitted.) It's an adjusting process where you would move an element if it improves the pathway system and the overall layout. For elements that are to be built in the future, you have the flexibility to place doorways and "destinations" where you want. So it would be good to design them in ways that improve your pathway system... whenever possible. Shape and arrange things the way you want them to be. I would explore tying the deck and raised garden system together in some way, if that works for you. (I don't know much about your property and probably won't make the effort until pictures appear directly on the thread.) Don't think too much about plants now, except in a general way, until you get the hardscape worked out.

I have found that the flowers of all the plants in the carrot family attract large numbers of insects including many types of wasps and hover flies, tiny beetles, etc. If you let the parsley and carrots flower in their second year they will be insect magnets too. In my yard the fennel, parsley, and goldenrod flowers attract the greatest number and variety of insects by far. It is fascinating to watch the swarm surrounding them when they are at their peak. If the swarm bothers you, but you still want the foliage for the caterpillars just cut off the flower stalks. The rue flowers are not as busy and it seems to be a last choice as far as black swallowtail eggs at least here. It is an attractive plant though and may get giant swallowtails to lay on it as well. Be careful when working with it though because it may cause some light sensitive skin blistering in people. I would make sure that the peat moss never dries out until the seedlings get a good start because once it dries out it is pretty hard to re-wet.

did someone say hoyas??? Now there is a market to fill! Seems to me that Exotic Angel is the only big seller of hoyas these days, and though the selection is good, it is only the tip of the iceburg! The only drawback is - and I am speaking only for my area - most of the garden centers have been pushed out of the plant business by places like Home Depot. They can't very well charge the higher prices they want to charge anymore when the customer can drive to the Depot and get the same plant for $8.98. So if you are going to sell to these garden centers, you will have to have prices that are low enough for them to turn around and sell at a competitive price with the big box stores and still make a profit. But hey, I don't know much about business. I grow most of my hoyas from cuttings I get from other growers, but that is not to say that I wouldn't buy a full size plant if I came across one...actually, I'd be thrilled to see something other than the same old selection that EA has been putting out for years.

I read somewhere that to vibrate the tomato plant with a electric toothbrush (not the brush part, just the handle) several times a day during flowering will pollinate the plants. I tried this with some tomatoes that I'm growing indoors, and even though I got fewer tomatoes, it did work. I'd rather have bees, but haven's seen a honeybee yet this year. I've had a few woodbees visit the garden. **** Yes, some folks use an electric toothbrush but shaking the plants as I mentioned above works just as well. And vibrating or shaking is no good unless the pollen is viable and since the major reason why tomatoes don't pollinate are temps too high or too cold, or humidity levels high, one should be aware that nothing will help under those conditions. The product blossom set will help if the temps are too cold, but there are problems with that as well b'c it induces what's known as parthenocarpy. The reason that vibration worked inside is b'c it's the vibration of the wind that helps outside with self pollenizations. Shaking the plants would work just as well to mimic wind movement. And I hope you know that quite a few of us don't ever want to see insect pollinators on our tomato blossoms b'c we save our own seed. ( smile) I welcome them if it's squash or melons or cukes, etc., but not on my tomato blossoms. LOL Carolyn