I must say I love my three Crape Mytrles in my frony yard. The flowers arent too messy, as they kinda fly away when they drop. The leaves are fairly small and not too intusive when they fall. I prune mine back every Demember to the main growing branches. IMO, this leaves the best looking tree for the winter, and gives you a nice compact buchy tree come Spring/Summer. Here is a pic of i and 1./ of them :) from last year when they were just coming into bloom Brian

Denise, I was going to ask if anyone had any suggestions on what to put in the place of the Magnolia. I don't think there's any way I could talk my husband into taking it out, but I was trying to figure out what would look good there just in case I did. I think the variety of Magnolia is Little Gem so it's not supposed to get big like the regular Magnolia, but I agree that it kind of blocks the view. I'm really not much of a tree person, which is why I was glad to get rid of the trees on the middle tier. I like planting flowers and the trees cause too much shade sometime. I would love to fill that center spot with daylilies and other flowers. I've been trying to get hubby to let me take out the Yaupon by the front door and put something lower growing. I would actually like to take out all of the yaupons, but I can't make up my mind what I would want there instead. We have a shorter stone wall in the backyard, so we had to do a little bit at a time also. Laurie

will cherry thrive in san fran???? i have often suggested.. peeps use pix of local things.. that inspire them ... it quickly answers what will grow in your area ... snap pix all summer long ... and get IDs here or in the name that plant forum ... on some level ... you are trying to handle this like an interior remodel ... and that may be problematic ... first... will you change the bed shape/design ... or will that remain static ... second.. we should ID the 3 largest plants .. especially that green blob in the middle of the 3... we need to start with what we might call the backbones.. first with removal ... and second.. what to add back ... for the vertical aspect of the bed ... your multi level house is not going to look good with a flat garden ... and many of the larger potential backbone plants.... may have specific planting times .. rather than the ability to just slap them in anytime we want ... also .. i see a purple plant on the left.. why would you want another??? will this be DIY ... will it be bigboxstore .. would you be willing to mail order??? is the other side of the driveway also yours.. and is there a duplicate large tree like shrub there .. meaning you might not want to remove one.. without the other ... i am in MI ... i can not recommend plants for you ... you may as well be on the moon .. lol ... but i am addressing the base issues.. of how i would begin the process ... one last look at the pic.. and that giant picture window ... i might come about half way out to the street.. and plant a tree .. so that in the future.. it would block the neighbors view .. directly thru what appears to be.. the whole house [or its a reflection of the peeps across the street ] ... i would not go any closer.. because i would want brightness in the house ... that might be a good spot.. for the cherry ...but also keep in mind.. sherry blooms for a few days ... maybe a week .. and then is otherwise a rather lackluster tree ... well that ought to be enough to start defining your end product .. ken

Since the house is a separate stricture within itself we could do a rounded e entry of stone and take all of the yard out and make it a circular drive w tons more space for parking and still have a decorative entrance w planters and shrubbery etc.... lots of space to do anything you want