Do you mean the birches? Or the maple? That's actually the back of the house, we're on a corner lot and the driveway is on the side street. Makes for lots of excitement when we have a delivery or work done, no matter how many times I explain where the driveway is, I get to watch people drive in and out of all the neighbors' driveways while I stand out there waving my arms. There is a nice shot of the sugar maple in my album, I'm adding the link below. I need to take more photos, the English roses are blooming right now, yummy! Spring or early summer is the best time to overseed with clover. Agway actually sells a mix, or at least they used to, called Conservation Green, that is a mix of grass and clover seed. Or you can just buy the clover. I never really noticed what it does in winter, it just sits there. I mean, I never noticed that it turned brown or anything, it just looks like green lawn from a distance. Here's a pic of the allee from a year ago. The shutters were off the house for painting, and the nekkid spot in the foreground is reserved for a large pergola covered with roses with a bench with cushions wide enough to take a nap on, and lattice on the back side for privacy from the side street. Maybe this year. I hope. Jo Here is a link that might be useful: album

I use stock tanks. I have several 300 gallon Rubbermaid ones, 2 of which are in-ground....one as a pond and one as a lotus bog. The other one I leave above ground, but empty it out late fall and turn it over. (Sifting out all the tadpoles is a chore though!) I had another above-ground one, but left it upright (no water) in the winter, and it filled with rain water and froze and cracked it. I tried repairing it, but it kept leaking. Now I have a 100 gallon stock tank in it's place for smaller marginals. My husband and son dug the two areas for the sunken ones. Not fun! Then they used some sand on the bottom to make it softer for the stock tank, and then set in the tank. Be sure it's as level as possible. Also.......caulk the heck out of the plug. You don't want that to ever leak! I think we've had these for about 10-12 years, and so far, so good. But I'm sort of a stock tank nut. I have 9 for raised beds in my vegetable garden! :) You asked about winter....I use a small deicer to keep a whole in the ice open in the in-ground tank if it freezes, but I really try to keep the pump going as long as possible, to oxygenate the water. I only have frogs, no fish. Good luck, whichever you decide to use.

"In terms of your suggestion regarding enlarging the deck, I’m afraid I completely disagree with that." I didn't mention that as the suggestion, but as an "either/or," depending on YOUR preferences. But I would add that IF you adapt the plants to your needs, then there is nothing to preclude their screening deck activities at whatever level you decide to use. It isn't as if you create one element (such as a deck) and then throw your hands up in the air about everything else, as though those things cannot be controlled. Everything you do in a clean-slate space is potentially under your control. But I can't see any reason why you'd create a new space that, from the get-go, doesn't solve all functional issues, including dining. (A deck that's only 8' in one dimension cannot adequately contain a typical outdoor dining set.) Limiting planning in that way is contrary to any philosophy on properly developing a property. Your drawing conveyed what you intended it convey .... how you thought of using the space. I was trying to get you to go further so you could get feedback about how others thought you might better use the space, making the thread more useful to you. My point in explaining the process of creating a base plan wasn't just because it's more useful in acquiring feedback, but so you could understand that it is more effective and 50 times easier and less complicated than what you drew.

Ideas/considerations for when you talk with a real landscape architect: - how much gardening and of what kind are you/your wife wanting to do? Flowers, veggies, easy-care shrubbery? - how much lawn do you want to manicure and mow every week (personally I'd minimize the lawn, maximize your lovely woodland and natural meadow space). - if you can get electric to the hangar, do it. - cohesive yard: maybe a three-rail wood fence (backed with wire to contain pets) around the whole perimeter. If you do a fence, remember to include gates at strategic places wide enough for mowers, carts, etc. - any DIY skills or inclination? - dogs: You look like you're out in the country a bit, and big barky dogs are not a bad thing to have near the house. I like having a doggie door to give dogs access any time they want to their own dog run (an area maybe 6' wide by 15' long, fenced with 5 or 6' tall chain link). That way they can go in and out by themselves, and be contained in an area that you know is safe and escape-proof (deer, rabbits, and squirrels are such fun to chase). A normal fence can surround any other area you want them to play in while you're able to keep a closer eye on them. Not sure any of this was of help, but good luck anyhow.