I'm taking license and guessing what paving does to the left off the picture. What I'm trying to illustrate in the sketch is placing the two cherry laurels, balanced (and centered as a group) in the bed space created by the paving. A plan view that accurately shows the pipe location would be useful. If the irrigation pipe is still exposed as shown in the picture, I'd move it as necessary... rather than plant the most major component of the landscape unbalanced and off center. If the pipe can't be moved then I'd try to fudge things as close to correct as I could get them. Can't see how the pipe lies in plan view, but c. laurels might work out in front of it. (Would need to see plan view to know.) Keep in mind that these plants are trees & will get big, unless you keep them rigorously sheared. If you don't, you'll need to limb them up to keep them from eating up the patio space. If they're limbed up as they grow so canopy is overhead, they could be closer to the walk without being in the way. Unless you plan to let the Lady Banks heap over the top edge of the fence, I can't really see how it's going to fit in that spot. It's a big, huge heaping thing. Think half the size of a car.

Thank you everyone for your input and ideas. Bboy - I'm having a hard time envisioning what you are talking about with the "green river" There are many Saucer Magnolia's in this area that seem to be pruned to be a smaller tree. There are some larger ones but I've never seen one 40 ft across. Even the largest oldest one's I've seen that have trunks like 3 ft wide (Seriously I'll have to go take a picture of that tree it's awesome!) aren't that wide. TALL yes, but 40 ft wide? not that I have seen. Of course, I'm sure it's possible but is it not also possible to prune it enough each year that it doesn't become that wide? Is this something that we can do to keep the tree in that location? The pine tree's in the backyard on the right hand side will be cut down at some point. That's down the road in our goals for the house. Thanks for the questions. The reason I don't want to really put it dead middle is that I like asymmetry, yet balanced - and also it would have to pretty much be smack dab in the middle of the yard to be wide enough away from the house. I'm not usually fond of tree's smack dab in the middle of a yard in front of a house. Thanks for all of your input and ideas. Hubby and I are talking things over and trying to decide what we will be doing.

"I have to admit when we choose the double stairs we did not think what the purpose of the stairs or where the stairs lead to. We just liked the look of it. I am sure that violates the rule of landscaping/architecture design." Liking and having does not violate any rules. But not doing something appropriate with it once you have it would be questionable. I'm tossing out a walkway scheme that shows the staircases connected by semi-circular walkway in a classic manner as you might see in many places in the South. The point of the double staircase is not just to be functional, but to look grand. A connecting walkway develops the point. An alternative method would be a rectangular configuration, but since you're showing a semi-circular bed, I'm building on that scheme. (The position of the walk parallel to the house could be adjusted to be closer or farther from the house, but should not connect to the semi-circle in odd, slanting angles as you show. Its geometry should reflect some element that already exists.) A traditional red brick walk would look nice. My negative comment about the rock edging is because it looks rustic--like part of Granny Hinckel's Tennessee farm. Your house is much more refined so the rocks seem out of place. The solution would be a permanent walkway as an edging. That would look clean, refined and uncluttered. "One of the reason we do not want to do any hardscaping now..." There's no concern about when you do it. Your time frame is entirely up to you. We're talking about PLANNING it, which is a "must" before actual money is spent or work is attempted. It's not too early to figure out what to do... before you do any shrub planting. I look at your idea of having adjacent multiple species of shrubs as a bit like creating a conversation grouping of chairs in the living room, but instead of having a matching pair of chairs, using two that are completely different styles. It seems without purpose. People do this outdoors thinking that they're adding interest. But I think it is going to add busy-for-no-good-reason instead. On top of that, I reaffirm that there seems to be no reason to cover up architectural features, so going minimal instead of maximal seems better. A single fat shrub on each side seems plenty to me. I'd keep other plantings low and have flowers, whether perennial or annual, around the entrance ... including window boxes. They would help reaffirm the importance of the entrance. I like the lattice face and details of your porch. I wouldn't cover it with shrubs. If you think it needs more interest than a low bed of "groundcover," consider the possibility of a low placed art ornament like a sundial or some such object. I wouldn't place any type of wall-like screen, hedge or similar in front of the mudroom entrance. Architecturally, it is asking to be displayed, not covered. But a flowering tree would give that area a sense of shelter and help the house to look well-connected to its surroundings. (A matching tree could go on the left side of the house if a mirror image effect is desired.) If multiple-trunk, it would provide a filtered view of the MR entrance so that it would feel a touch more private. But it is the front of the house, so unless you wall it off, there's not going to be running-in-the-yard-naked type of privacy. A fabric awning over the MR steps could look nice.

Felicia sounds it doesnÂt take up alot of width...is that correct? That would be fine. I donÂt have to have a climber on both sides of the porch. I can have Cornelia on one side and if Felicia doesnÂt want to Âclimb on the other that would be fine, unless it is going to grow really wide and bushy. That might be a problem. It could just stand up in front of the corner of the porch and be okay. I may plant a vine to one side of it to climb up the corner of the porch and fill in a bit of the space visually. New Dawn being a house eater is perfectly fine. I think. LOL! It will be against the back of a garage that is 25' wide and has nothing yet planted there. I would like to espalier it against the wall if that is possible. I do really like the look of an espaliered rose more than a huge bushy one that is completely eating a structure. ThatÂs just my personal preference. Is it possibly to control that effect with a rose that tends to get bushy by limiting the number of canes and training accordingly? Or is that just going to stunt its growth? 2-3' feet from the house sounds like alot, but I would guess it really isnÂt once the rose has grown after a couple of years. IÂll take this advise seriously and plant accordingly. I do want to be able to pull them away for any maintenance. My husband is very concerned about that, so he will be thrilled if I plant them farther from the house rather than closer. I plant to use something like eyebolts? to attach the roses to the house. I will certainly try to give them enough slack to breathe and move a bit. All of this is somewhat difficult as I am a very visual person. It would be great if I could stand in someone elseÂs yard and see an established rose growing exactly like I want to grow mine and plant accordingly. Since that is not likely to happen right now, I will just do as best I can with guessing. I have done a ton of research but nothing is as good as actually being there. You just really canÂt tell from pictures and I am sure that they are usually taken to show everything at its best and not the real mechanics of planting. Also, one side of the front of my house gets quite a bit more shade than the other. I am planting Celine Forestier, Gruss an aachen & Cornelia on that side because it sounds like they can do well in partial shade. I know they wonÂt do as well as they would in the sun, but they should do okay? Barring any success with some of these roses, I can always move them to another location. Correct? I am trying to make the most informed decisions possible, but I know that there are bound to be mistakes along the way and that is just part of gardening. Better to have planted and lost than to have never planted at all....which is what I have been doing for years, so I am ready to really dig in and try. Thanks so much!!! Angela