Diana, the pictures do not show enough. With landscape, we need to see more detail and surroundings. Also, it would be helpful for you to give a little background, and say something about the goals & objectives so as to minimize too much wrong guessing. For the pictures, for a foundation planting area, we don't need to see as much sky or foreground. Move in with the camera such that you can see a small spot of sky above the house, and foreground as shown in the white frame below. (Keep the same point of view .... roughly in line with center of house.) Then take slightly overlapping pictures such that you can capture the view show in the black frame .... from far left to far right. Don't make a panorama of those pictures but post them individually. It is important that the camera NOT CHANGE LOCATIONS BETWEEN PICTURES for this complete scene. If you do, the pictures cannot be reassembled. The camera merely pivots.

Hi Karina, It looks like your garden area has lots of potential. I'd look through images of gardens online so that you start to get clarity about your own sense of style, what you like and dislike. Also, make a list of goals for the garden (eg : play space for the kids, grilling area, dining / entertaining area, herb/vegetable garden. or whatever makes sense for you). Knowing what you want to be able to do in the garden, as well as what is beautiful to you, is a good start. Then measure the garden and make a basic plan of its shape, and include the house and the placement of windows and doors (measure their location). See if you have an outdoor GFI electrical outlet, and a hose bib or faucet---if you use low voltage landscape lighting and an irrigation system, you will need these. (You will want the irrigation outlet to be continuous, that is, you won't want it on a switch because you don't want anyone to turn the irrigation off). I can't tell what part of the country you are in? But from the photos, a few thoughts: - it looks like you may get a lot of sun, and so if you're in the right zone, a fragrant garden would do well: lavender, rosemary, butterfly bush, monarda. rose, perhaps lilac, plants like that. Or are you in California? I can't tell, but plants that make sense in your area; you can discuss with your local plants nursery. You'll want to choose either an angular, geometric garden or organic, curvy shapes for the layout. From what I can see of the photos, one design I would try out would be : formal vegetable and herb and fruit garden in the sunny area near the house (if it gets full sun), with gravel walks. Also, flower beds. A terrace with shade of some kind (sail cloth, or umbrella, or pergola). Then I'd make a small woodland where there are tall fences, this may be along the side of the house where the pool is, it's hard to tell in the photos. There could be seating in a few areas: a bench in the herb garden or a chair & ottoman there (eg adirondack chair, nothing fancy); dining table or deeper seating with a dining-coffee table on the terrace, for say 6-10 people if that makes sense for your lifestyle; and then a bench or a couple of chairs in the "woods" area. You could also incorporate a small oval or rectangle of grass for play space. Good luck with your design process. I think you might find helpful hints on how to approach designing your own garden on gardenista.com

Hellebores are pretty tough plants and a good option to try if you insist on a groundcover height directly under the magnolia. I have the same surface roots, plus dry concerns for best results. Shade concerns not so much because of where you are and being south facing. I still favor using shrubs to fill the gap under the tree. Three Spirea japonica planted in front of the magnolia will eliminate the need for hoping to establish a groundcover, look nice and make a fine hiding place for those big hard waxy leaves. You can still do the bench and the single medium size specimen shrub in the back.

Give room for hydrangeas to grow or you will be doing a lot of pruning when they grow to mature sizes. Don't plant too close to the house or sidewalk or driveway. I let a volunteer crepe myrtle grow near the driveway and my wife was not happy when it was over the driveway where she backed her car into the garage. I had to prune this at least twice a year, dug it up once and none of them made it but no fear as CM are hard to kill. In another couple of years it was back at six feet tall with an equal spread. This time I dug it up into five plants - 3 made it while 2 did not. After they made it I cut and sprayed every sucker of that CM. This was my scourge for years.