I have dial up and I didn't have any trouble with the pics. I loved the woodland setting of your house. If it were me, I'd fill up the area in front of the chimney with a woodland type island. A small group of trees as ilima said. I don't know all the southern ornamentals, but dogwood, serviceberry, redbud, fringetree, silverbell, are all small trees that are easy care. Even some magnolias I guess. A friend of mine recommended sweet bay magnolia as an easy care small tree. Some shrubs to consider are witch hazel and spicebush, winterberry holly, perhaps elderberry. These are all natives, and personally I think a native grouping is your best bet for low maintenance. I've grown all of these plants and you can basically forget them once planted if you place them properly to start. Of course all the rhododendrons and azaleas are gorgeous options too. I'd throw in a dwarf hemlock because I just personally love them. But anyway, I'd opt for a natural arrangement with my selection of trees and then some shrubs and then groundcover under that, with bark mulch around it all. Then basically that whole area would become "maintenance free" as far as mowing. You will have to watch the weeds and do some pruning now and again. As far as how to arrange it all, I would have a hard time describing it. If it were me I'd get the combination of textures and foliages I liked and then move them around a bit until I came up with something that looked nice. So then instead of having this big blank space at the corner of your house you'd have a lovely woodland garden that blended your home with the surroundings and took care of itself. Plus would attract lovely songbirds to serenade you! I am not couching this in "design" terms such as line of sight, etc., more in terms of the "look" or style I would go for. Of course you may not like this and your style might be more formal. But to me, a native small tree/shrub/groundcover option looks great and is low maintenance. Oh yeah, and I'd try and find a small maple, I don't know the japanese maples that survive in your climate. If the area is still shady (don't know how it looks without the trees you dropped) then I'd try and find a mountain/striped/goosefoot maple 'cause I just love the bark. Acer pensylvanicum or something like that I think. I've seen them in the mountains of NC, but again, I'm not familiar with the flora in GA.

Could you surprise her with a little party just 1 or 2 friends or daughter if she has 1 & you make a nice little lunch at your house & take it over, doesn't have to be fancy. Maybe small basket with new hand hoe & couple of packets of seed (you can offer to plant next spring) a couple of cupcakes from bakery will do for cake, that would give her a lovely day. Not be too taxing & little gift would give her something to look forward to in the spring when hopefully she will be back gardening!! If she has no friends left but you then have it for 2 of you. My Mom has had 5 hospital stays in 5 yrs & I made up freezer full of food, did dishes & dusted & vaccumed, cleaned bathrooms & changed sheets- all things she couldn't do. You don't have to do all that but doing up the dishes or some food is appreicated. Even bringing up the mail or paper is big help when your body can't do it. Jan

I'm 74 and have been exercising 3 times weekly now for 11 years. I really concentrate on my legs as they need to work for me when my poor old damaged lungs can't. I could still wear shorts in the summer until about 5 years ago when gravity finally got my knees. It was inevitable. I have very strong muscles in my legs but it's the skin, not the muscles. Yes, I have been a sun worshiper for many years. It doesn't help my skin but tanned saggy skin looks SO much better when it's tanned. At 60, you don't yet have the old bruised, scared legs that will appear over the next 10 years. Out skin on our calves thins and a small bump can result in a deep cut. My lower legs look like someone has been beating them with a stick! But when they're tan, they look much better and the scars and bruises don't show as much. It is very hard to age when one is vain. One must do the best one can and accept the rest with humility.

Unless a person knows they will be in a house for a short time, I think it's better to plan for the long term, knowing that there may be a period of awkwardness until the final concept rings through loud and clear. In this case (if you're going to be in the house for a while) I would not let the stone and roof colors limit where I go with future house colors. Personally, I don't find the stone attractive enough to call it a "keeper." If budget allows, I'd consider replacing it. If budget doesn't allow, I'd paint it and that will be an improvement and open up color choices for other things. Roofs eventually wear out an need replacement. At that time, you could select a better roof color that goes with your improved house color. Eventually, you could transition to a whole new, improved color scheme. The new pictures help. To be perfectly frank, I don't think the stone columns and fencing help in the least to make the entrance more inviting and appealing. If a courtyard effect was still desired, I think it would be done completely differently than what is there now. So getting rid of those things would be an immediate improvement. The walk needs help, too. Ideally, it would be redone. But if that is not in the budget, then strategically adding to it would be a big help. It especially needs an area of expanded paving near the entrance door. The small "trees" inside and outside of the courtyard are not the right plants for those spots. Is the budget or DIY interest level sufficient to make some sizable changes to the entrance area?