I've never understood why some people love their roses, but think of other thorny plants such as bougainvilla as a completely difficult plant. I find that bougies trained flat against a wall or fence don't require much actual pruning, but do avoid the purple form which is a much more rampant grower more akin to Wisteria or Kiwi vine growth rates. I'm not a fan of single brick bands across such a wide driveway, it is too little detail for the scale. Grasscrete as a driveway material or banding can also be planted out to no-mow ground covers such as Dymondia or Ophiopogon. I would still recommend eliminating that additional concrete around the lawn, and if not fencing to create a courtyard feel, at least some cobination of mounds, screen hedges or raised planters to repeat the long low horizontal lines of the house. The house elevation is just a bit bland, and could really benefit from updated landscape treatment in combination with new driveway treatment. I would understand if this doesn't appeal style wise because it departs from the neighborhood norm, but it would be the approach I'd propose. It just seems like this front space could be greatly improved by designing outside the box.

drtygrl, I don't think the Endless Summer hydrangeas come in tree form. I questioned the designer about the underplanting and she said the peonies come up and bloom before the hydrangeas leaf out, but I don't know if this is the case. This might imply the hydrangeas get cut back every winter as Endless Summer will bloom on new wood. With the tall perennials behind the lacecaps, they would be for viewing from the street, not the house. That's the way I interpreted it but I agree with you it wouldn't work if she thought we would see them from the house. (Well, we might see some of the flower tops to the extent the tower is up higher than the planting bed and if we trim the lacecaps lower.) I am totally fine with planting a nice display for the neighbors, although the perennial planting seems unplanned. inkognito, During the designer's second visit I discussed the view from the house several times. Even when invited she declined to walk through the house and look through the windows. That really left an impression, but not a positive one. After I said I want low plants in front of the front bay windows I am blown away she recommended rhododendrons that will grow very tall, although not quickly. Do you have any thoughts about plants that might work here? Azalea "Hilda Niblett" looks interesting as does Rhododendron "My Mary" although the Rhodie might be too tall and better against the front wall between the tower and front bay windows. I'll stay in touch and let you know how this develops. After this week I'll be traveling the next couple of weeks so not much will be happening after this week. Billy

I don't think a concrete dye would work, since you have so many colors already on the driveway. You would only get a mottled look. And I agree with another comment that says don't paint the driveway. I would suggest doing a thin new concrete overlay, and make it a light grey. An important point: your driveway should not be what adds color to an otherwise washed out vista! Some options to make your house have "curb appeal": -- Paint the house a color other than white, such as a light beige (but then you'll also need to paint the blue (or is it grey?) trim some other color, such as white). I see that you have an arch over the entrance to a small porch. This is a very nice feature, but doesn't even show up. The problem is that the arch is painted the same color as the house, making it hardly visible. So here's an idea: as mentioned, paint the house a beige. Then paint that arch - including the little accents that are currently painted a grey -- a white. And paint the other little arches plus accents that are over the windows also white. -- Add some lovely landscaping. This goes a looonnng way to enhancing the front of a house. I think you should do this no matter what else you do. Please post an image showing more of the house, plus the front yard.

She now installed a camera looking straight into my “private” backyard. Police can’t do anything about it. They can’t tell her to point it down. Put a bird house on a pole right in front of the camera. You don't even need to make it a real birdhouse. JJust put one with no back close enough to box in the camera. As long as your birdhouse is on your property, it's legal. I'd make the birdhouse moveable, in case she moves the camera. You can make the birdhouse attractive, so it's a feature.