If you use native plants for your hedge you'll have an easier time establishing & maintaining it. I favor a mixed hedge, so you can have an assortment of plants you enjoy throughout the seasons and in the future if one dies you can replace it with whatever you desire at the time. Plus the natives attract birds and they add another dimension to your peaceful space. A visitor commented one Friday evening about 6pm, "It is like you recorded all the bird sounds." I could only laugh because we just built a habitat that they like & they came to us. I'm not an expert, but we enjoy our backyard patio immensely late spring through fall as we're located outside the Seattle area with a long rainy season like you. In the rainy season I look out at the patio from my kitchen sink window & enjoy the view. We have portable fountains that attract birds including hummingbirds and provide enough white noise to drown out sounds. Our backyard is much shadier and we've replaced thin grass & moss with many curving wood chip paths. We have a small dog who enjoys running on the paths more than the yard. We also have other pets such as chickens, ducks, doves, & rabbits, so the backyard space includes them, too. You might want to include a climbing plant on a trellis or berm up the soil for the hedge to provide the privacy you need. I share our pics to inspire you that a novice can create a useful & beautiful space. view of patio displaying fuchsia starts ready for transplanting, Masterwort Shaggy in front left patio view toward back of yard bench with fuchsia and blooming Lamium Aurea, Hosta & Filipendula ulmaria in bloom view from path toward chicken coop with Astilbe Visions in Pink Here is a link that might be useful: native plants at Portland Nursery

yin49, i didn't realize i could click on the photo and see more!!! live and learn. i like all of the designs u made. what program do you use? rather than repost the photo, here is the message from above (5 messages ago ... my first note to you)... the photo was taken on the patio, looking out at the pergola (as opposed to looking from the pergola back at the house). the house is on the west side of the lot, so the pergola area gets much shade ... not dense, but dappled due to the 4 pecan and 1 ash trees. i'm attaching another view of the area, as you can see ... we have much yard and open green to 'play' with. where to put medium height shrubs. there are additional photos (taken during the construction etc) on photobucket. thanks again. you are very talented! ============== first post : "Posted by letsharmonize 9 (My Page) on Mon, Sep 8, 08 at 6:35 landscapedesignchina, i'm curious what you would do with this? when you have time. we like simple designs. thank you! Here is a link that might be useful: pergola view from patio" Here is a link that might be useful:

very interesting points brought up again :) There are various forms of Feng Shui. Some that are more literal then others. Kate, I agree with you, coming in and knocking down homes as they have...I personally do not agree with that. Feng Shui is about respecting the land, not disturbing it, as it seems they have. Many of the changes that would be suggested to those who hire a "expert Feng Shui consultant" will come from that consultants perspective. So, if they see extreme changes need to happen, that is what they will suggest. If your consultant says we can work around this situation...then that is how they will approach the issue. The red envelope, that has a lot to do with your intention of why your addressing it. Traditionally it is to increase wealth. To help increase your finances means you have to act on your intention as well. Many times people think I just have to place this object over here and that will solve everything :) Remember, Feng Shui is 80% intention, why you are making changes and what it is your looking to achieve from those changes. 20% is taking action to make those changes happen. The red envelope cure says to place 3 like coins inside and put the envelope in your "wealth" section according to the Bagua Theory of Feng Shui. The location will be in the furthest back left hand corner of your entire home from your front entrance, looking inward into your home. As you place it there, think to yourself, why do I want to increase my wealth, is it to simply have enough money to pay my bills, maybe go on a trip...it can be anything. xc60, I like the way you think :) yes having a four is not recommended by the Chinese culture, but utilizing your numerology skills and seeing that everything adds up to 8, very lucky, as well as 9 :) Feng Shui is based on your own personal belief, if you feel it does not work for you, that is fine :) If it is not Feng Shui, perhaps you have another cultural belief system you choose to follow. It is recommended to find something that you belief in and that helps keep you grounded and happy :) Here is a link that might be useful: Feng Shui Manhattan New York

Emagineer, that is probably a crystal star? And when we got married in 2006, I gave each of the granddaughters, nieces, and their mamas the 2005 Swarovski crystal star Christmas ornament as a memory. Every year since then, I give them the current star from Swarovski as one of their Christmas presents. By the time they are grownup, they'll be able to decorate their whole Christmas tree or a window year round. It helps that we only have seven granddaughters/grandnieces and 4 mamas, and then I get one so it is a dozen stars total that we get. I also gave one to my brother, and he has it suspended from his rear view mirror in his Mustang. It is for the light show that I get them, not for any supernatural powers. I've looked online for the rain chains too. I think a copper one would be lovely, aging to that nice verdigris over time. I do not have the rain gutters. I've wondered how to suspend the chains where they will keep the rain from tearing up the flower beds beneath. I have a link somewhere and will look for it. Reasonable prices for an 8' chain, with option to add links to make it longer. In Costa Rica, they used regular old chain at the rooflines of the resort where we honeymooned. Then a splash block at the bottom. They get serious rain there, and these chains were two stories long...about 20 feet? If you have a plastic linked chain, why not try it first before you buy something? A weight at the bottom would keep it in place.