After seeing your neighbor's overview of your yard my first inclination would be to plant some tough, fairly fast-growing trees along your wall. This might also decrease the heat coming off that wall. Most nurseries would be able to advise you if you state your needs. As for the sod area, I've noticed that most people never really use that area, and it will take a lot of water and care. Just my opinion, you know your needs better. Rather than having a gazebo, why not develop the deck area more fully to make it really comfortable and inviting and use the area where the gazebo would be for some pretty but carefree plantings? Again, the nursery can advise you. That way you can enjoy all the different areas of your garden from the deck without any obstruction to your sight lines. I'm sorry if I've repeated what others may have already said. It's great that you have walls instead of some rickety fence around your property. That gives you a good basis. Another thought, would the vegetable garden be better in a more hidden area in a further corner of the property? So often that area doesn't always look terribly attractive. I'd plant some easy-care roses (some of the antique roses are great or modern shrub roses, not hybrid teas) so you can enjoy color and fragrance there. The best of luck with your plans. I'm sure it will be beautiful. Ingrid

Ohhh trux......I'm so excited for you!!!!..I Know reading how worried you were!..It has turned out So Beautiful!!!..Please keep posting pictures!!! I "CANNOT" wait to see the Finale!!! In regards to, IF they would allow the Pool to be done 'before' the Addition, Regal Pools, will NOT even "think" about putting the Pebble Sheen in the pool YET....AND I totally agree with them with all the scraps of wood and shingles and the overall "construction" "Regal" Personally will not allow anything happening to the integrity of the gunite...IM IMPATIENT...and Want it NOW....but I totally Understand!!! They Warrant and Stand by their build enough to "deny" me the Pebble Sheen that I "desire"...and I totally "Respect" their reasoning behind this!!!.. Even at this stage in the ENTIRE project (which is a Huge Build).....Regal Pools has been so "Patient" with me (Again..NOT an easy task!)...and I totally Trust them!...hard to say that about some builds!..But .. seriously...Josh has been a God Send! Keep posting Trux!! I cannot wait to see the finished Design!!!

I grow lots of fruit trees here. Fruit trees go good with roses as long as the trees dont get too big and shade the roses out too much. I just planted Mermaid rose yesterday several feet from a shrubby LSU purple fig. The LSU Purple figs dont get too dense of a canopy. I also grow: Starfruit, figs, dwarf black mulberry, Longan, lots of citrus (several lemon varieties, 2 Buddah's Hand, 4 Red Fingerlimes, Blood Orange, Ray Ruby grapefruit, Thai Lime, Persian lime), Hass avocado, Then I have a Miracle fruit and 15 little Jackfruit seedlings that are a few feet high lol. Also have dragonfruit and some diff types of berries, grapes. Probably more that Im forgetting about right now lol.

Arch you are right, we are close to neighbors and we used to have a patio but we built the addition over it, and added the glass doors to get direct access. the house is 34" above grade which is why we thought of the deck that is a few steps down from the house - privacy + more integrated with the lawn and paver stone area. our architect started with steps down, but they projected out 9' (3' landing + 3 risers + 3' landing). this is required to meet code without guardrails. it was also wide -- I think 12'. therefore, we thought this took up too much yard space and chopped up the area we'd want for adult hangout close to the house. we thought the deck that is a few steps down doesn't waste as much space, gives us a good location to the house / kitchen, privacy and we'll use it more when it's closer to the kitchen. we're thinking of Aztek decking. any other ideas? if there was a concise way to get to ground level we'd prefer that, but we need 3' landing at the door and each riser can't be more than about 7.5" per code. included the first option from architect with the steps down and landing. thank you all!!