Can you take the Picture wide enough to show both houses ?

First of all, thanks for sharing this post. Your ideas on how to get and use landscape design help are very enlightening and I think could help a lot of folks on the forum. Most of us can't afford a landscaper to do all the work, but finding ways to collaborate is sometimes difficult. Some landscapers want to do everything from start to finish because that's the way their business is set up. But there are alternatives and we have discussed them on this forum before. The only other thing I might add to this discussion is what's the road like? The reason I ask this is my best friend lives on a busy road, and she put a berm in front of her house out by the road, and planted it with trees and shrubs. Then she has a fence along the driveway with a gate leading into the front garden. She has a patio out there and when you sit out there you'd swear you were in the most out-of-the-way secluded spot, even though it is right along a major commuting route. The berm worked wonders to screen out noise, and the landscaping makes it all feel very intimate. Of course I could be way off base, maybe this is not an issue for you.

First a story: Our very best friends and former neighbors (why do people move!!!) had a screened in porch surrounded on three sides by fragrant shrubs and perennials and even a ornamental tree...let's see, I remember there was lily of the valley in the understory, there were lilac bushes, and a viburnum, and a dogwood, and flame azalea, peonies around there somewhere, and a bunch of other things. It was sort of a mismosh from the outside, but they were mature plantings and somehow it worked. Now, the part that may be of interest to you...EVERYONE, from spring to fall, headed to that screened in porch whenever they visited. And the family lived out there...even sleeping sometimes...in the summer. It had ratty indoor/outdoor carpeting and a very old patio set, but the chairs were comfy and there was a great couch and a kind of hammocky thing. The rest of their house was beautiful; but everyone wanted to be out in that porch. (the house even had central air!) The room was always cool and serene and GREAT smelling. The sad ending: Our friends sold the house and moved and the very first thing that the new owners did was to cut down all those shrubs and remove all the perennials and replace them with "foundation plantings". Sigh. They never got to experience the magic and joy of that room. So, the reason I told this self-indulgent story is to strongly encourage you to go for plants that make that screened in porch a paradise! I'm thinking fragrant and even tall, so it cools the porch from the sun and you can (eventually) see the flowers from inside the porch. Google "fragrant plants" and "fragrant trees and shrubs" and see what comes up. Patty

Thank you hoovb for your suggestions. I like Eugene de Beauharnaux and have been tempted by Prospero also. May I ask where you have your Prince situated? I have moved mine twice. The last location the deer kept nibbling them so I can't fault the location. They now are directly in front of Gloire de Dijon (climbing on the low fence) in a very sunny location. Do yours crumple in the afternoon sun? Interesting your experience with Old Port one of the posters (hopefully they will post again) raved about it. That is why I love this forum! Ingrid I have only grown one tea (climbing lady hillingdon) and it never got beyond twig size so I have been afraid. Thank you for your suggestions. I will do a little more research. In regards to Cottage Rose. Cottage Rose has been very healthy and disease resistant (although very thorny). It is the only pink I have left in the back. I am removing it because I am not partial to pink and my house has been color coated (a different color). I also planted it many years ago (one of my first Austin's). I purchased it pre-Clair Martins book (before we knew what monsters some of them could become). I think it would be lovely in a larger area!