Oh goodness, that has to be one of the most positive and uplifting replies I've seen in awhile and it was to me! :) Thank you! I'm trying to read more threads here to get ideas. I do have a minor in art, so I do think the design classes I took help but I'm still not happy with the balance of most of what I've done. I'm even thinking of digging a 300-500 gallon koi pond this weekend but decided I should wait until next year once I've gotten these other projects completed. I just don't have too many friends around here so I don't have anyone to show thigns to and get honest answers--I like critiques! Like 'I think that rock would look better to the right' or 'those two platns on the side, have you thought about planting them at the front center?' Go Go Tangents Not sure if I already said this but the reason I really l ove rock-gardens is I want low-maintinance/low-water, since this is a drought area and I rather hate yards. This is inspired by my regular trips to San Diego. I also want to provide more vegetation and flowers for bees/butterflies (Would like to set up a monarch waystation in the backyard along side the path). I'm also trying to decide if I want to do a patio or a deck in the back as the yards uneven and I'd really like a flat solid area. I was considering investing and having a small sunroom/conservatory built onto the 4x12 patio that's already there but given ti's Texas--it'd probably be to hot to use in the summer and to cold in the winter. So my other plan is either a deck, or putting in retention walls to level out a half-circle infront of the current patio---should only need 2 feet high at the highest area, in theory. I have so many plans and ideas, but my biggest fear I think is that 1. The HOA is going to get mad at my landscaping decisions and 2. They're going to not look that great over-all and make it harder to sell our house (which is years away). Brick Path Progress - I'm wondering if I should do a slightly windy path straight back then curve to the patio (which is on the north-west side of the house, the gate is on the south-east side) or do a few circles (I might have to buy more bricks) with sand or little water features in the center. I'd like some kind of 'seperated' garden beds, because I kind of want to do a mini botanical garden / prenneial garden / Monarch waystation. Ideally with little plant name-plates of some sort, haha. Before - Did this about an hour ago. Was a square of rocks that had been painted orange by the neighbore. Told them when I moved in a year ago I was going to do something different with it and they said go ahead. So I removed all the rocks that were painted (the collar at the base of the mailbox, it was glossy and fake looking!) And here was what I had to work with. After - So I have my little rock garden! I had some pea-gravel and I turned rocks upside down that had been painted to have some larger rocks. I'm goign to clean up the outter edges so there is a cleaner line but I don't want it perfectly 'square'. I have a few more Chick n Hen succulents in the back I'm going to spot in there but I wanted the rocks to be the main feature. It's a little heavy on the right, I'm considering taking out the dark green Aloe (it won't survive the winter here anyways) and doing something more dense with chick n' hen succulents (which are my fav, and most will survive the winters here). Ideally I want those little succulents to grow over the sidewalk. I also have some pearl succulents I'm thinking of hanging in some kind of basket from the loops under the mailbox. Though again those won't live in the winter so I'd have to bring them in. Corner Garden - I need to put some more rocks on this one to give it more of a little rock-feel. Before - Yard, all grassy and what not. After - Inspired by some of the patterned succulent gardens I've seen online. Needs more rocks or a full ground-cover.

There is probably a better forum for a question like this. This forum is for lawn care.

I understand how people believe a drawing is key. As I'm looking for quotes at this time to get an idea of prices and then will finalize with the person doing the work I"m not worried. When they install I will be here and can confirm layout etc. I’m getting basic quotes per square foot to make sure it is something we can afford and someone we want to work with. The rest will come once I know who we want to work with. I said to people here it is simple. On site I worked with the people giving the quotes in some cases for 30 mins to detail what we wanted. If someone can’t even quote me for a 3 food pathway top of yard to bottom then there are issues. If they can and it fits our budget then we will work with them to iron out the details. I also think a lot of this needs to be decided with materials on site. We need to get the pieces and confirm the plan together. A picture from me even to scale on graph paper won’t help as I need to see it with them in real life. I cannot visualize what I want until I see it in our space. But I can tell who I might be willing to work with from talking to them for 30+ minutes and deciding if their quote is within reach.

You might consider paving stones with moss in between them. Moss doesn't require a lot of sunlight -- it can thrive in the shade. The pavers would support the wheels of lawnmower, transport chair or wheel chair. You could use even use a double row of cap block end-to-end with a bit of moss in between and all around them. Personally like the octagon shaped pavers for this kind of thing but since it will not be seen from the road, the less expensive blocks would work well. There are You Tub vids on how to put them in place so they stay in place. Though you couldn't move anything in the path that is fixed -- pool pump or utility meter -- see how much of any of the rest of the loose stuff (flower pots or whatever) you could get up off the ground by creating some kind of vertical storage. You'll have more walk space if everything -- every thing -- that must be kept in the path is all on one side of the path. If you can create a gentle slope away from the house so the rainwater runs off the path as soon as it hits it, rather than running down the length of the path, you'll have much less erosion. If you could create a small ditch filled with pebbles alongside the low side, that might help as well. Think: mini French drain -- with or without the pipe. Afterthought: Do you have gutter or overhang over the path area -- is what is above or is not above contributing to any issues below. French Drain.https://www.google.com/search?q=4%22+wide+french+drain&client=firefox-b-1-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjQjc-6wqzqAhVRYTUKHSFaCooQ_AUoAnoECA0QBA&biw=1366&bih=654