Feedingly, It has been mentioned that you have English ivy in the mix which begs the question, is there more of it on the other side of the fence? If there is, it's not going to be very practical trying to eliminate it as it will keep coming from the neighbors. Unlike many others, I do not despise English ivy and consider it a lawn alternative for large shade areas. I once had a half-acre lot of which 50% was covered in Hedera helix. Actually, I found it to be the EASIEST ground to maintain as it required no mowing or babying. The only thing I had to do was 2-3 times per summer walk through it and spot spray any stray weeds that popped up. And sever (with hand pruners or a knife) any ivy that was climbing trees, of which there were a dozen or so. On some of the larger trees I let it climb up about 4' height and cut it there... I liked that look and didn't have to bend over to do the work! Where the ivy met my grass, I alternately sprayed a swath of Round-up (looks ugly while the ivy tips die, but residually acts as a growth retardant and slows the next growth wave down.) and then edged the ivy with stabs of a pointed spade. (I only did this about 2 to 3 times per summer.) Some people just let the ivy come into the grass. It only grows about 3' to 4' in before it dissipates, being unable to stand the short mowing. It is not much visible like that. Since my adjoining neighbors also had ivy at the back of their yards, there was nothing for me to maintain at the lot line. I had no ivy next to my house so none to ward off there. All totalled, I don't think I spent more than 3 hours (or barely more) per summer maintaining 1/4 acre of ivy. In your case, it would good not to allow ivy on the fence, but spraying a swath of Round-up a couple of times per season would take care of that. Ultimately, I'm suggesting that a row of flowering trees, with a green waterfall of ivy below would be a relatively easy thing to take care of, if one is not opposed to using Round-up and some pre-emergent herbicide granules. Establishing the space as a shade area would help. I would add that it might be some work to get it to the point of being weed-free, but once there, it would be extremely easy to maintain. If I was going to do this, I would relocate all the plants to be saved (such as Hosta) to another area, temporarily or permanently. Then I would work on weeds and simultaneously plant small trees like crape myrtle. If you don't cure the weeds before trying to develop smaller plantings, it will be futile. I don't think there's amount of weed pulling that will cure the weeds you have. As weeds are killed, it would be important to mulch bare areas to minimize any weed regrowth. Having been around the forum for a while now, I am certain that mentioning Hedera helix in a positive light will bring out all manner of negative comments against it. Many, it seems, would rather face a rabid pit bull than a sprig of ivy. To each his own, but it seemed to me that ignorance about how to properly manage ivy is pervasive. Previously, some argued against it based on another related species -- Hedera canariensis -- to which anyone would know is not the same plant, nor does it have the same characteristics. In spite of my love and adoration for Hedera helix, I know that if one is not knowledgeable or willing to learn proper management techniques, it can seem like an overpowering bull. So I'm not recommending that you go out and get some to install in an area currently devoid of it. I'm suggesting that if it's already there, and already in the adjoining neighbor's yards, learn to manage it and use it to your advantage. In spite of what people say, it has a lot of positive attributes.

You don't need to fill walls. First, switch the love seat and the end table, so the end table is beside the fireplace. Centered above the love seat, hang the 2 pictures that are on either side of the TV. Hang them about 4" apart, and about 6" above the back of the love seat. Let the curtains hang straight down instead of swagging them to the side. Lower the TV by 18" - 24". Get some kind of low table or cabinet or shelf to put under it. Nothing else on that wall. We'd probably have more suggestions but you only send us close up pictures of little bits of the room.

Pressure wash the concrete if you haven't already. Then you have a couple of options to enhance the concrete. Allow to fully dry for several days and paint over it. HERE is one review of such paints. You can further enhance the new look with a stencil as was done on this PORCH. An alternative is applying a concrete dye. I especially like THIS ONE because it doesn't require an application of neutralizer. The dye reacts with cracks and other imperfections to produce a unique look. After the dye has dried, a sealer is applied with either a matte or gloss finish. A covered porch creates deep shade. Nothing grows well in deep shade, so any plants next to the house walls should be shade loving AND rotated in from and back out to a brighter location. Consider adding a free-standing trellis or lath work to create a wall along one outside edge of the porch. While the one below is not next to a porch like yours, you can see how it adds vertical impact and a sense of seclusion without cutting out the view or airflow. Add large pots or planters along the outside edges of your porch. It's difficult to tell exactly how large your porch is, but it looks large enough to have both a dining area and a conversation area. Because this area is covered you could use furniture with cushions without worrying about putting them up every night. The area also looks large enough to use a sectional; however, I prefer chairs and sofas because they are easy to rearrange as wanted or needed. Measure your space before you shop. Then measure the furniture if its size isn't listed on the tag. Come home and use painter's tape to mark off where you would like to place each piece of furniture. Try to visualize how the pieces will work. Do any of them interfere with traffic patterns. If you use a path on the side of your house don't block the way you would normally access that path with furniture. Good luck with it.

This forum's introductory text is: "This is the place to offer your suggestions and comments about GardenWeb. If you have an idea on how to improve the forums," Instead, the threads are posters' gardening-related REQUESTS for suggestions.