I am actually referring to the area in front of the retaining wall. I am going to put some liriopes or hostas behind the retaining wall but the area between the fence and the wall is what I am curious about. Thanks.

Hi Preeti, your home is so well maintained and I am sure the sunroom is a great space. Your best bet is to plan for successive blooms. Given water restrictions, native plants might be a good option. If there is a native nursery in your area, they will likely be happy to help. I found a few suggestions, but lack personal experience with these plants, so please confirm with a nursery pro. California Fuschia (Zauschneria californica) Epilobium canum. A very hardy native that can take a lot of abuse, this is commonly found in dry areas, rocky slopes and cliffs. Abundant, scarlet tubular flowers from July to November, popular with hummingbirds. Likes sun to partial sun exposure, may be used as a ground cover. 2’h x 4’ attracts humming birds Matilija Poppy (Romneya coulteri) bit tricky to get established, but is worth the effort. It requires excellent drainage and lots of sun. Large 4-6” crinkled flowers appear from spring to summer. Spreads by underground rhizomes. 3-5’h x 8’+w Desert or Apricot Mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)hardy evergreen perennial, this plant has coral flowers clustered on stems spring to fall. Prefers dry winters and benefits from pruning after it blooms. 3’h x 3’w Panamint Beard Penstemon (Penstemon floridus) A large showy perennial, this plant combines coarsely serrated to smooth leaves with hot pink flowers atop tall spikes. Prefers hot, dry summers and cold winters. 3-4’h x 3’w Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha) This plant displays long purple spikes in summer and fall that gracefully arch above grayish green foliage. Will take some light shade. Keep tidy and attractive by cutting old stems off at the ground. 3’h x 4’w

@Yardvaark, yes, the grill will stay. I know it is unusual to do the cooking/dining in the front yard. If we were at any of our old houses, we wouldn't even entertain the idea of doing this in the front yard, but we are in the country on 10+ acres. The road shown on the site plan is a 12 ft wide road with 2-way traffic. The only person that lives below me is my uncle. The area between the porch & driveway is right off the kitchen/dining room, so it is convenient. What is shown on the site plan in the rear yard is a screened-in porch. We do have a patio under the porch, but is at the basement level. To grill back there, would require hauling food down the interior steps and through the unfinished basement. We did this when we lived in the suburbs and it was less than ideal even after we finished that basement. I agree having a master plan would be ideal. I tried doing a master plan and got overwhelmed. (See my response to Fori) I do have a plan in terms of "use" just not landscaping. I thought if I focused on this front area, it would inspire the rest of the design. As for the proposed uses: Back yard: we ultimately want to build a fireplace near the patio for roasting marshmallows and family time. North Side yard: This will be future (5-6 years out) parking for when the kids start driving. We are grading that area now, so we can drive to the back yard if needed. We plan to reseed with grass for now, but will have raised planting beds along the house to protect the house if someone doesn't stop in time. :) South Side yard: Not much to do here. We have 3 heat pumps that we thought about enclosing with a fench/lattice, but the only one who sees it is the propane man. We do need to build our outdoor shower at the end. Front yard: Other than wanting a flower & herb garden between the drive & porch, I don't know what to do. I'm open to ideas if you have any. To extend the thinking a little more, right now, you don't have a solid vision of what you're trying to create. It's a fact that "gardens," at times, can become a bit (or a lot!) messy. While landscaping on the other hand, tries to be always tidy. You've got that right! I don't have a solid vision! LOL! As for the garden, I was thinking more flowers with either herbs integrated into the flower beds, or a separate area with herbs. I wasn't thinking "garden" as in corn, potatoes, beans. I thought herbs were on the "neater" side of gardening and could be incorporated into landscaping easily, no? My previous neighbors had herbs growing in the foundation beds out in the suburbs and it looked lovely. Maybe they spent a lot more time than I thought tending to them?? I can't see that a fence here would be necessary or desirable. Visually, it would represent somewhat of a barrier in an area that is supposed to look welcoming. Being a MINOR barrier wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. I want this area to be welcoming from the porch/dining room. I don't want guest automatically walking through it. I have 2 sets of doors off my porch. The first set are the teal double doors on the front of the house. The second set are the white, double doors leading to the dining room. I'm hoping the landscaping will help eliminate any confusion on which door to use. Currently, 99% of our guests go to the dining room doors. (One reason is that our temp sidewalk leads to this door.) I want to encourage guests to go to the front door. Building my main sidewalk should help, but my husband wants to keep a walkway from the side porch to the driveway, too. I hope my comments aren't misconstrued as if I'm saying a garden here won't work. In addition to functional appropriateness, gardens typically require more maintenance than landscapes. I'm bringing up these points as something to think about prior to committing to development. This is why I posted. I like to hear pros and cons that I may not think of myself. I appreciate the feedback!

It's a fact ... you'll not be able to get rid of the mess until you create a permanent, hard walk where there is now mulch. The magnolia roots are going to make it harder, but it must be done if there is to be a cure. I agree with others that something like concrete (simplest and cheapest) or pavers/brick are suitable. A walk laid out to acknowledge the tree will look and work better than one that doesn't. The bench only makes sense if there is a way to get to it ... i.e., use it. But because of Magnolia roots, it would add a lot of difficulty extending the walk to the bench. Therefore, I'd recommend using the bench elsewhere and having only plantings at the front of the house. Consider using a groundcover like Asiatic Jasmine to cover the magnolia roots.