Do you have a lot of bunnies and deer in your area? You may not see any in your own yard because of the lack of foliage, but if you've got a deer population, you're going to have some trouble. We've got TONS of deer where I am, and they will eat anything we put in the front yard (they can't get into the backyard!) But, if deer are not a problem, I suggest Hostas. These are perennials, they're pretty hardy and roughly maintenance-free. We've got a bunch around the yard and we planted them there at least 10 years ago, and probably have not done much since planting them other than feeding once in a while. The rain provides enough water. However, when we tried putting them in the front yard, the deer munched happily on them. Same with the lilies, even though I was pretty sure deer did not like lilies (or maybe the bunnies ate the lilies?). Black eyed susans are self-seeding, and quite strong too. If you want a few smaller flowers for cutting, snapdragons are very attractive and provide a nice burst of color, and depending on your zone, since they are self seeding, they may come back in higher numbers the next year, and so on. Iris is a very nice choice too, as it is a fairly sturdy plant and does not require too much maintenance. I suggest finding some bearded iris rhizomes online right around now, because they are late summer/fall planted. There are a number of very attractive "rebloomers" that will bloom in the spring and again in the summer, which is always nice. Deer won't eat them, and they're nice. However i'm not 100% positive 6hrs is enough sunlight for an iris, but it might be. (iris experts, chime in!) You might want to consider some kind of wild flower seed. check online (i always buy my seeds and bulbs from americanmeadows.com and they do have a section, IIRC, for what seed mixtures are best for each area of the US) as these can provide a colorful splash to your garden bed. If you're looking for spring time color, invest in some daffodils. These are totally maintenance free, other than planting the bulbs. They take care of themselves, you don't have to dig up the bulbs, and they will multiply over the years. Any spot is okay for them, though they do prefer a little bit of shade, and so your 6 hrs of light is perfect for them. If you're looking for some border annuals, petunias are a nice choice, as are portulaca. Portulaca is much easier to take care of though--you really don't have to do anything other than plant them. With petunias you have to make sure they don't get too much water--and if you get a lot of rain, they're going to rot and get moldy. (though this is the same with most plants, i suppose)

The top one definitely looks like "Foxtail" to me. The bottom one could be Foxtail or just simply Crabgrass. If it's Foxtail on the top one, and it has gone to seed, each plant can generate over 30,000 seeds. Your best control shot would be a good pre-emergent next Spring.

coooofffeee buzz .. lol ... you want an answer to a question for the ages.. WHY IS IT HAPPENING .... the simple answer ... BECAUSE ... cant be more specific ... it is VERY!!! common on transplants .. and frankly.. since its only been 4 years... on a pretty large transplant.. the injury .. could have happened way back when ... or it could be last winter ... though the amount of healing seems to make me think all that healing has not happened in 8 months ... so give up the quest for a reason ... we can speculate until our ears/eyes bleed .... but there is no specific answer .. glad you got rid of the small stuff.. now lets see if you can find the root collar and expose it ... i would be done with watering .... so i would probably remove the drip ring.. if that is what it is ... its time .. after 4 years .. for this thing to be free range... IMHO ... [except for extreme drought] ken ps: is that a borer hole into the heartwood on one of the pix .????

Thank you all so much for taking the time to respond. I can't tell you how helpful it is to get out of my own head on these issues. pam - great input. My realtor said the kitchen definitely needs updating (although she doesn't like the idea of giving up the dining room area) and we just had the house appraised. I know we won't get our money back but we're partly remodeling for us since it looks like we'll be here longer than planned. (Getting 50% back would be ideal)Yes - I did draw in a "hall table" and maybe there is also room for a tiny bench/drop area on the left of the front door if I build a little wall there (full or half). renovator - Overview of the lot is below. We are already past our side setbacks on the back corners which means we could only bumpout in the middle of the back of the house. We did not seriously pursue this given the house's layout (it would effect almost every room on both floors in a weird way) and the fact that there is a raised flagstone patio along the back of the house (with steps down to a small lawn) which is one of its nicer points. The yard is small but a nice point of the house and with 3 kids we use it. ANd we knew we were updating the kitchen so to rip out both ends of the house sounded $$$. The "views" are mainly from the back of the house. The front of the house is close to a street and not too private, but we had space to push out on the porch and a little on one side of the house which this plan uses. House is 2 stories on a hill (bottom levels has office, bath and family room with french doors to patio). Hill slopes down from right to left on these plans and from front of house to back. I am having trouble uploading an elevation. And what kind of pictures would help? Interiors? Here is a pic of the house: kirkhall - thanks for your vote and for encouraging me to push the full bath! I can't tell you how exciting it is to contemplate not sharing a bathroom with 3 children... elizawhyza - Talk to me about the box window...the original plan (if you scroll up to my first post) actually has a box bumpout of 1.5 feet (with a bay window) that the table is moved towards. The reason I changed it to bay in this version was 1) I centered the table (for several reasons) and 2) I lost my island stools and I really wanted a seating option that was NOT the table for people to "hang" in the kitchen. I also thought I could build in storage underneath the window seat and also use it as an end banquette if ever necessary for bigger dinners. But - do you think it would really make the space feel bigger to do a box window? What would you put in that space? I will definitely play with the island size. I can't go longer than 4 feet parallel to table but I can go down to 2 or 2.5 feet across and would definitely consider that for more room for 5 people to get around in there... Appreciate all your comments!! Keep them coming...