ali, what about putting an arbor in and growing a honeysuckle up it? From the edge and in from the driveway to the tree, I'd edge out the grass from that area and curve slightly to the end of the concrete pad in front of your home, the patio area. All the way to the end. Let's give you some curb appeal ;) Put the middle of the arbor in front of the edge of the concrete pad where the car is sitting, about 3 feet in. From the middle of the arbor to the drive and then going up your house, you could create a path that would curve over to the sidewalk and to the front door. For right now, using newspapers and a 5 gallon bucket filled with water, cover up all grass with layers of newspapers you've plunged into the water. Lay them down, overlapping as you go. I typically use about 10 layers of paper. The more, the better. If you can create your path first, either using stepping stones or gravel, lay down something like visqueen and lay the stepping stones or the gravel over to create the path. Remove the grass where the path will be so that nobody trips over stepping stones or gravel. Take out a V shape where you're going into the lawn from driveway to tree and up and over to the end of your home. Remove the dirt and the grass from the V, so that you've got a drop off of sorts and lay your wet newspaper to curve down into the area where the dirt is. Cover the area up with mulch or mushroom compost if you can get your hands on some, except for the path area. By next year, the newspaper will start to decompose and the grass will be dead, but it adds to the organic matter of newspaper and the dead grass. Worm heaven. From now and thru winter, study up on various perennials and possibly a few shrubs that produce berries for our other feathered friends. Next year, push back the mulch or mushroom compost and dig holes to plant. There should be enough room to the right of the path up to your front door, to add in a shrub. Then the other shrubs could go in front of the poles, under planted and going out to the edge with perennials. I prefer natives. They're adapted to our weather, our soil, they make up our ecosystem. Find a list of native plants for your area, and research those plants as to what hummingbirds like and also which ones make seed that other birds will like to eat on. The native plants won't require dead heading, don't need pruned or cut back so they look better....I just prefer them over all. Now an iris in there isn't going to hurt anything ;)...or a peony....both left by the previous owner that I decided to leave and a friend of mine from TN also gave me a beautiful iris that is sentimental to me. But again, those 2 are easy plants. Hummingbirds will love to sit and rest a spell on shrubs you provide and give you a closer look at their beauty. Too much?? Where do you live? Zone 5, but where? lovefornature, you're doing a wonderful job! It's people like you who join GW that make it an enjoyable site to visit. If you like butterflies and are interested in attracting some of them to come to your yard, you could plant a Aristolochia tomentosa or Aristolochia durior. Another plant I love that I don't know draws anything in, but blooms in late summer, is Clematis virginiana. Another neat native clematis is Clematis glaucophylla. I also answered the e-mail you sent, I hope you got it.

I have been trying to figure out a place to put blueberries in our yard as well. I originally wanted side yard in the back but now I am afraid the the house next door will provide too much shade plus if the new owners decide to put up a fence it will provide even more shade and possibly damage the roots (the house has been sold but still under construction). Our front yard gets full sun but it is rather small.. and since blueberries can get pretty tall I was trying to figure out a place to put them where they won't look weird. We are thinking of growing them in pots this year at least, since we can't make up our minds yet... and we can always move them around that way until we find a spot they do well and that will look good before we stick them in the ground. I like OkiePokie's idea of planting them along the property line in the front yard. Our HOA will not let anyone build fences in the front yard (back yard only and it has to be a privacy fence) so we won't have to worry about them later putting in a fence and destroying the roots or causing too much shade. Also, I like the idea of the added privacy since the neighbors are sooo close to us.

I used OwensCorning Driftwood as well and im not sure if the color is similar to Certainteeds but in case it is, the OwensCorning version is definately a mix between gray and brown. The below photos show what the house looks like on a cloudy day (super gray and kind of dark to me) and a semi-cloudy day. On a really sunny day it tends to look even lighter and a bit brown but even on its most "brown" looking day it doesnt actually look brown to me. I really like the versatality of the color.

I agree, the Pearl is too yellow. Still trying to decide between the Antique Parchment and Linen :). I reached a new low as I knocked on doors in the rain, asking if I could hold paint samples up to trim. For better or worse I told the installer we'd use the Teakwood! I felt relieved for about a minute....and then started thinking things like: is it too dark? Is there a PURPLE undertone???? Is the finish too flat? Ha! I might be certifiable! Wish I was someone who didn't care. I might have an ugly house, but I'd be blissfully oblivious :) Well, I guess another option would be having enough money to hire someone like Maria Killam... This line of siding is special order (the warehouse doesn't stock it yet), so we needed to order in advance. I worked up enough nerve to ask our installer (a relative) if the trim wrap was special order, too. It's not, so I have more time to think over the trim color! It's been rainy today and yesterday, so I'm especially glad to have more time since I'd like to be sure I like the trim color when there is some sun. I really wish we could do it all a step at a time - windows installed first, then siding up, then pick a trim color. Seems like it would be easier than trying to envision it ALL. Thanks again for all the help!