Make it look natural by having a backdrop at one end of taller shrubs that give the impression it originates from behind them. Natural pools are often wide places in streams or have a stream coming into them from one end. When an artificial pool can be planted so that it appears to have a hidden source then it looks more convincing. The worst thing is the common mistake of a waterfall flowing down a pile of soil or rocks out in an open flat area, with nothing but air behind the top of the fall - completely unnatural and therefore comical and ineffective. However, all it takes is a backdrop of taller shrubs and trees that fill and conceal the space behind the source of the falls and even an artifice such as this can be made to look right.

I appreciate the other opinions. I have to say to Barbara that I have struggled with a vision for this corner. With Mark's suggestions that made me realize Japanese/PNW garden, I feel like a vision is forming. I do think I need a conifer there, but which one? What scares me is the tree down the street is at least twice the size of mine and is fewer than 10 years older than mine. I think it's as tall as I'd want a conifer to be in my garden. It could be that my pine is rare elsewhere, but when these houses were built, the landscapers put in the cheapest filler plants possible, so I was surprised to hear that people felt so strongly about keeping it. But I do appreciate it more and am sorry to hear that it might look too ugly to keep. I would really love to start with the Orangeola Japanese maple that Mark suggested, then add some shrubs and hardscape that is sorely lacking. I had never really thought of pines as part of a Japanese/PNW garden, and now I would like to bring that feel into my garden. A few years ago we bought a Japanese maple as the focal point for the bed to the left of the pine, but it died when we were on vacation for 10 days and thought it had enough water. I never really got back to that bed except to move plants there that needed more sun. So I would like to put the JM in the front of that bed somewhere along the curve and either leave the pine or replace with another conifer. Which deciduous and evergreen shrubs do you all grow with your conifers, especially in the shade?

Hi everyone, I really regret not working out the furniture details of my island. I was so focused on the function of my kitchen and choosing finishes. Now if I want to make any changes I have to act fast (and I do want to make changes to make it look more like furniture). Please help me work out if I can add two posts similar to mags kitchen posted at Aug 7 at 0:01? Here for reference is both sides of my kitchen island Business side: seating sides (there will be 5 counter height stools)

Artemis, same here! I must start sorting and discarding--we have the great luxury of over a year's lead time till we retire and transition to living in what is now our vacation house. I must begin working on the mammoth project of clearing out our home of 30 years. We're not hoarders but we have a full house of stuff, as everyone does and it cannot all go down there! I know the hardest things to part with will be the furniture and decor items that just don't belong in the new place; I've lightened up my 'tropical traditional' style considerably in our new house and I love the fresh look I have going down there. But oh it will be wrenching to give up things I've used and loved so long. I"m planning to start with the easy stuff-things that are not sentimental or in use. Friday is commencement day at my university which for those who work in higher ed is the official start of summer :). I'm going to try to discipline myself to either set a timer or make some job slips (clear a shelf/empty a drawer/sort a closet bar) and draw the winning task each evening since I won't be coming home exhausted and fit only to eat dinner and gaze vacantly at HGTV for an hour or so before heading off to bed.