Hi NCguy, Like most lots, your backyard space is a rectangle with a border fence or wall. Simple shapes, like a rectangle, are so quickly recognized by the eye we lose interest. And the space has no view for the eye to escape to, so we continue to search inside the "box" for interest. Introducing curved shapes inside the yard creates interest and leads the eye to explore the details. The background of the fence and two story buildings is a distraction. We might do well to stop the eye and bring it down into the yard again. The view from the patio will help you to strategically place a few small trees to block out the nearby buildings. Planted 8 feet from the fence, these trees should work well. You might consider using Dogwood or Flowering Cherry. Mark the tree locations and then, using a garden hose, start at the fence corner (about 3 feet out from the fence) and make a curving line, like a snake, across the 50 foot fenceline. Shrubs, planted in groups of 3 or 4 along this line (with spaces in between)will create a new background. The shrubline, combined with the trees, will keep the eye moving. You might use broadleaf shrubs like hydraengea or Rhododendrum where the trees give shade; and use spirea or weigelia in the sun. For privacy on the right, you might cut out a curved, semi-circle of lawn, 4 feet wide and 15 feet long, for a shrub or evergreen hedge. Hibiscus would give you choices for flower color or evergreens like Juniper 'Witchita Blue' would add a silver grey to the yard. Inside the semi-circle would be space for a small circle of perennials and/or annuals. A border of brick, laid side by side would keep the lawn looking neat. Now take the hose and start at the end of the hedgerow (nearest the fence) and make a large pond shape that moves to the left, avoids the trees, and ends at the left side of the patio. This is the new lawn shape. Any areas outside the lawn are for shrubs and border plants. Inside this new lawn space there's room for a patio extension. If the patio is concrete, you might consider continuing that material and then staining it all to match. A rounded shape would work well here. A 3 foot wide by 5 feet long cutout at the patio edge will leave room for a drift of low plantings. Gotta go now. Good luck with your project! -Ted Kmiecik

I love your place!! It has so many possibilities!! You mentioned that things look better when viewed from one side only. I would suggest forcing the perspective. Design your walkway, patio, etc. so that it runs along the good "one side". Unless the shape of the walkway is ridiculous, people usually prefer to walk on established pathway. Another idea is to use the focal point. If you want people to look "here" but not "there", use plants with brightly colored foliage or interesting form "here". Use plants that catch my attention. In the "there" spot, plant boring things. You mention that June is the big month for your garden. For other months, add bright color artifically with a brightly painted trellis or other small wood structure. For example, in my front yard, I want people to look at my door and porch. I don't want people to look at the 4' tall utility box in the corner by the road. So, I introduced contrasting color, form, and texture by the door. The utility box is surrounded by boring indian hawthorne shrubs. (I thought about not planting anything there, but the utter lack of landscaping actually attracted attention.) I hope this makes sense and helps!

I've been going up and down and up and down just taking in all your lovely flowers. The garden shots are great, since there is so much green in addition to the flower colors. Those of us in the no-rain zones are pretty tired of burned out brown. I do love all of them but I'll just mention Dancing With Sandra, Late Round, and Pinhill Claret Symphony. Hope there are still more late bloomers to come. I'll be watching. Avedon

karate Sorry. I don't know how to post pictures. Maybe soon? I have asked a young person to show me the ropes. Ha. I'm in OH. Our woods is small but it has always been a mess. And we've lived here 20 years! The job just seemed overwhelming. I've had it cleared a few times, and it reverts to junk in a years time. Poison ivy, grapevine, and lots of black cherry ... and pear. Ugh. One part of the woods is about 100' x 25' on the side yard. The first 50' overlooks the neighbors roofline. (I want to block that with hemlock and remove the blue spruce that were put in 5 years ago.) The the next 50' abutts deeper woods that is "visually" ours. Behind that first 100'? is another piece of land running another 100' x 50' sited on a slope. That also abutts woods that we "visually" own. We are starting to work on the slope now. Up on top is a big wild cherry that will stay, hickories, and a few other nice trees. The rest? are big old scotch pine and austrian pine leftover from a Xmas tree farm years ago. HUGE. And not my favorite. Now there are dozens of pine volunteers on the slope that are approaching 8'? high. I'm hesitant to clear them ... because I don't have a replacement plan, yet. For the time being, they give some structure to the slope. Otherwise, there is a noxious weed rose running all through the slope, more poison ivy, thistle.. BUT ... there's crown vetch, wild impatiens, and other weeds that I think I like, for now. Plan is to edit it day by day. I have real good yard help right now, or this project would not be on its way. What a relief. Finally. I will definitely be back here to post pics ... as soon as my young tutor gets me on track. Re forsythia? That's similar to my dilemma with the volunteer pines. I don't want them long term, but for now? They at least take the eye off the solid weed hill. Once we get a little further along on the slope by removing the wild rose bushes? I may consult a landscaper. Maybe have some BIG flat rocks layed into the slope? Hemlocks along the property line where we need some screening. Get some Maxima rhodos in? Have you considered some sweetbay magnolia? or the native rhodo "Maxima" that blooms in late June/July? The trick is doing the clearing ... and THEN getting a plan into action so that the whole area doesn't revert again. It's going to be a test, for sure. I'll try to get some pictures posted in the next couple of days. ML