The junipers I was referring to would be the carpeting types, 'Blue Rug' or 'Motherlode' or similar, which creep along the ground if it is flat but grow over the edge and down a wall when they encounter it. I suppose if your wall is really high you could consider clematis or other vines to go over the edge, but you'd have to be able to get at the wall from below to do annual maintenance. If you took Saypoint's idea of the trellises, which I can also visualize being quite nice, the vines could also tumble right down the other side quite fetchingly. It could look pretty cool. Other than that I'm not sure what plants are usually used to go over walls... I've seen some but can't name them all. They're usually not so much vining as mat-forming; they just form their mats vertically! I was thinking that smaller arching grasses, like Carex testacea or dipsacea, would just soften the edge of the wall; of course they woudn't really droop further. Those root systems would probably be no threat, but the bigger Miscanthus types would concern me there. Their bases tend to become quite massive, I think. It's funny to debate whether three feet is much space or not, but I garden on a city lot that is only 25 ft wide and most of my beds are 1-2 feet wide, never mind 3... that seems like oodles of room to me! I simply prune a fair amount so that my shrubs only consume the headspace I want them to have, and so they have a high canopy and I can plant under and around them. Of course the other thing about this project is that it won't be written in stone. Why not try a sort of hedge of the rhodos and hinokis and see how it looks; you can always add or amend in future years. KarinL

Just thought I would post a comment in this thread and this forum as the comments and reports on this site really helped in my decision in late 2010 with my decision to purchase a new Blue Star RNB304BBS V1 range on November 23rd 2010. It took a long while to finally arrive out here in California, but it did on January 25th and was put into service on the 26th. We live in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and were concerned with the effects of our 3600 foot altitude on the range's performance, since our local gas company tech had related several horror stories about Wolfe and Viking owners being unable to get their burner performance dialed in correctly even after repeated attempts and factory service calls. We are also on LP here, so the range was ordered from the factory for LP use. We had this same gas company tech do the hookup and testing of our new V1, and although the tech had never worked on a Blue Star before, he and I both found the design to be laughably simple compared to the GE Profile range we had bought and later returned out of dissatisfaction with its performance. And to both of our delights, the BS needed only very minor adjustments to the venturis of the top burners and the oven in order to get them all PERFECTLY ADJUSTED! The tech remarked that out of the hundreds of ranges he had worked on, including many high end models, our BlueStar was by far the easiest adjustment session he had ever done. He also was VERY impressed with the overall build quality and of course, the 22k burners! When the range arrived the day before the above hook up, we did find a few problems: One of the top bowl grates had a chip in the coating caused by a very small hairline crack in it, and there was an odd blemish on the stainless steel of the 8" backplate we had ordered to replace the factory installed Island trim package. I placed a call to BlueStar Warranty Service and spoke with a woman named Mandy. I told her about the grate and the backplate issues. She asked me to inspect the other three grates while I was on the phone, and I relayed to her that the other three looked fine. To my surprise she told me that they would ship me FOUR new grates just to be on the safe side! These things are like 20 lbs of solid cast iron, and I don't think they are cheap to purchase, so that was an impressive offer! She also said they would ship a new 8" backplate out as well. They didn't need to see photos, or offer up any additional proof of the problems other than my word, and they also did not want me to bother sending the problem parts back. Mandy told me to just dispose of them as I saw fit, and in the case of the grates, just keep the extras in case I ever needed to replace one down the road. (based on my experience with cast iron, I doubt I will ever need them, but what the hell!) I have to say that based on some of the comments and complaints I had read on this forum, I was VERY concerned about what might happen if I ran into any problems with my new BlueStar range, but after that 5 minute call to the factory, I came away most impressed! I can't recall a time where a manufacturer was so prompt in handling a problem, and replacing the parts with no questions asked! In terms of the range itself, we couldn't be happier! It is a pleasure to cook on both on the stove top and with the oven. This thing is hands down one of the most satisfying purchases I have made in a very long time. Considering how simple the design is, I feel that I could probably take care of any future adjustments or parts replacements myself. The inner workings of a BlueStar compared to other stoves reminds me of the difference between working on my 1966 Mustang and my 2004 Honda Accord V6! ;o) (In other words, I wouldn't dare touch my Honda's engine, but I never had any fear of rolling up my sleeves to work on that 289 V-8) Cheers. []Rick.

Oh, how I wanted my natural bluestone patio...well, it now looks anything but "natural." It's a hot mess! Original landscaper installed and used polymeric sand because that was "best." He recommended not sealing it. Or, as he said, "Let it sit a year and then seal it if you want to." Very shortly after installation, stones started turning orange or had deep orange/rusty spots developing like a rash. The polymeric sand grout started popping up like worms after a rainstorm by year two. Hired a new hardscaping/landscaping company who--at year three of the patio--power washed it, swapped a few stones and tried to remove some stains, installed a new type of polymeric sand (which is supposedly better for the larger gaps the earlier landscaper used), and sealed it. First, the power washing did leave what looked like swirls of gray "graffiti" on some areas, but that seemed to go away with sealing. Until it rained, I wasn't sure they had yet sealed it, but it was evident when water beaded up and remained on the surface. After it dried, white patches appeared all over the stones. Reading how this can also occur with sealing concrete pavers, I'm now wondering if that composite deck idea was better! All I wanted was a beautiful, natural bluestone patio. I've stepped on countless university and college walkways that do not have these issues, and that is the look I was going for. How do they achieve such beautiful patios and walkways without the issues we homeowners face? I know they don't use polymeric sand and their "deep pockets" must be able to afford the best stone and best installers.

Thanks Yardvaark. The original pic at top of thread was in mid construction so of course it was not welcoming -- very ugly it was (or perhaps you were referring to the original house with white siding that had overgrown burning bush that obscured the circle pavers). Either way the result is an improvement for sure. I am very glad we decided from the good advice on this thread not to do plantings around the circle entry courtyard as I like how open it is now with just a garden around the birch (future garden that is). emmarene, We are definitely still doing the glass railing around the deck over the garage. We just have not got that done yet. That will really finish off the outside.