Wow! Thank you so much for the suggestions everyone. I've been scrapbooking design elements and plants for over 3 years. My problem is that I appreciate too many things: English country, Japanese and French formal gardens, bearded irises, the Acer Palmatum Dissectum Viridis, purple flowers, most of the Heronswood catalog, etc... I'm having a hard time planning touches that complement the house and make sense. I'm obsessed with fixing this yard, but in two years all I've done is take down trees and buy bearded irises (my absolute favorite flower; which should be arriving soon). I don't want to turn my yard into something it's not - it's a wooded lot. I just want to add some personality and color here and there because there is zero color at ground level. Busyd95 is right. I can't afford to spend like crazy (only about 2-3K per year). I can't afford to make mistakes; certainly not if I want a yard to enjoy in my lifetime! So all your input has been helpful and insightful. It's been difficult finding professional help locally. I live in a military town. Several companies have refused to work here. My gardener (from a previous residence) actually quit after one session here. The last time we took down trees, they couldn't even get a stump grinder up to the kitchen yard. The stumps are still there. So at less than 1 acre this yard pretty much intimidates everyone. It's been a very frustrating experience. My house is the white elephant of the area (probably the town too) and Nandina is right about the leaves and pine straw - they seem to be on the ground most of the year. When we bought this house, the yard looked like it hadn't been touched in 10 years. The house looked haunted - one of the reasons we painted it a bright color. There are actually a few "scraggly" Azaleas, Rhododendrons and one Hosta here. They just have to go. No doubts about that. I haven't planted delicate flowers like phlox because I worry they'll get choked out. I've considered container gardening, but its tricky finding matched, large and non-plastic pots anywhere. I've checked "every" local nursery and home-store in the area... I am also checking online... But getting back to the original topic (sorry everyone) of the kitchen yard, I like the idea of a table, the Schizophragma Hydrangeoides vine, the Fragrant Tea Olive (which is actually already on my wishlist), and the Jack in the Pulpits; but only if they trap mosquitoes. This is generally a damp area. Nandina there's a downspout (coming from the roof) between the steps and the first air unit that's causing the drainage problem you saw. There's a river across the road and several creeks running through this neighborhood, which probably account for all the mosquitoes. We even have an underground stream at the base of the property. (I won't even go into what it's been like to find help for that.) Giboosi I like your suggestions of Solomon's Seal (what an interesting ladder-like shape) and the Tricyrtis (like small orchids). And Diggerb2 I like the idea of woodruff instead of mulch. Mulch is just out of the question as a large groundcover because of the Fall leaves. But still, some groundcovers are hard to find cheaper because they're only sold as plants; not seeds. I was considering Lobelia 'Emperor William' as a possible groundcover. It blooms 3 of 4 seasons and only grows 5 inches tall. Constructing a lean-to like cover was my first thought too for the air units, but it's tricky. That protruding air vent just throws off any design I can come up with. I also dislike lattice. It wouldn't match the siding (1-foot wide vertical cedar boards) on our 15-foot tall deck that surrounds two sides of the house. We've considered just painting the air units - is that something that can actually be done? It seems everyone is recommending stepping stones, but the stone walkway and steps (already there) match all the other stonework on the house (interior fireplace, chimney, retaining walls, etc.). It cannot be changed. And the area doesn't seem wide enough for stepping stones. The kitchen yard is actually 12-feet (fence to air unit edge) by 54-feet (gate to edge of stairs that lead down to the driveway/parking area). If any of you can stand more details, the kitchen yard extends out (12 feet by about 28-feet) to border one side of our driveway and then end in the part of our yard with the gazebo in it. This L-shape has made it difficult to plan garden beds. I can't seem to come up with anything except strict rows of plants; which I don't want to do. I'd like a few twists and turns - perhaps the hint of a secret garden, but I just don't want to fence in the kitchen yard again... Taken this morning. An aerial of the area causing trouble with planning. The view coming in from the North yard. The lovely air units. And for kicks . . . the tapped spring just flowing into the street.

Calidesign: good point about warmth from wood floors and bedding. Thank you. ljangell44: I actually tried to pick up a paint chip for agreeable gray (for another room) at SW when I was there, they were all out...popular color!! On my to do list to get back there. Interesting, I had never considered gray for the room, but I think it may compliment the yellow and not close in the room...will check it out. Thanks! BlueberryBundtcake: Tired of it and want a change. Funny, I always loved the warmth of it, but now after some renovations over the years all of the stain on various doors and windows do not match and it bugs me. Understood that it will be difficult to change!

IMO your furniture flooring all drive wall color and a W facing space will be hot in the afternoon so plan on some solar shades too I have no idea what highly reflective walls would even be a choice. As for what white you need to test with poster boards painted with 2 coats and moved all around the spaces. Make sure all the lighting is in before choosing wall color and all lighting LEDs in 4000K. I aslo would have suggested no higher than 10’ for ceilings but too late for that.

Id have to disagree with you on fans, i just replaced all 7 in our home. We sleep with them on, have them on when we are in eat room. I can easily do 3-5 air temp higher with air moving. It wouldn't be the first time someone disagreed with me, lol. I grew up without air conditioning, so I understand the "fan" idea quite well. However if you listen closely fans can create noise. In some cases to the point where you feel like you're in a wind tunnel. If that's your vision of comfort, that's fine do as you wish... Fan only option do not remove humidity let alone reduce actual temperature, so just recycling air around... well comfort means different things to different people. You're in DFW which tends to be drier with less humidity than where I reside in Katy, Texas. You could perform a test, shut off the AC completely and just live with ceiling fans circulating the air. I know the outcome before the ink dries of this post. So my opinion is largely centered around the area I service. Putting a fan in a kitchen with a lot of cooking going on? That fan is only going to be cycling hot air, grease and so on. You can call it a solution if you want. I wouldn't call it a solution because I know what comfort means to me. Are there others who view comfort the same way I do? We're all different that way. A fan blowing on you will give you the "feeling" of being cooler. Is the feeling of being cooler, really cool? (a loaded sentence for fun.) -- your body has a cooling mechanism too btw. I was just at a house yesterday with a broken AC. They could run the blower, the ceiling fans all they want that temp in the house approaching 90F isn't coming down without AC. Control. If a thermostat is on the east side of the house, it does not know the temperature in the kitchen with someone cooking up a storm in there. A fan? I mean if that's what you want go for it, I thought you were looking for a solution that would actually result in fixing the problem. Charles Ross I visit homes with these kinds of problems (with actual people living in them) for over 27 years now. Limited information? It's hot on the west side, lowering temp makes it too cold on the other side of the house? Cut and dry to me as night is to day. West side heat related issues... east side home thermostat control. The baking sun sets in the WEST. The heat of the day? To the west young man. All day, everyday. The OP said if they lower the temp at the thermostat the other side of the house is freezing? What kind of problem does that sound like? The million dollar question as it were. So simple an autistic child of two could understand it. LOL. ------------(HVAC) It is an on site job ------------- So what I provide here is a fix. But implementation of that fix is knowing a multitude of things, part selection, design modification of existing system to provide better control without destroying the system, or creating more problems. Knowledge as it were. Better control? So we understand this better the things we take for granted... you sit down to watch TV, poor control would be having to get up to change the channel, rather than flicking the remote at a moments notice. There was a time there were no remote controls for TV's. Coming home to a dark house having the ability to flick the light switch as you walk in the door of the home or as you enter the room, the lights come on automatically. Are you that lazy you can't flick a light switch? Well that's another debate for another time... just like only wanting to go somewhere because they have fine accommodations, and fine dining. You think those places have fans blowing on people? Charles? ------------- A solution that works ---------------------------- Many of you already know this review below as I've posted it more than once, The OP likely does not or possibly other people that visit this thread in the weeks, months, years to come searching for a solution to this very common problem. I know zoning, and because belief is a complicated thing... well click to enlarge the picture if necessary. I service the Katy, Texas area.