I am trying to come up with some solution were I can remove the white picket fence but still have some marker between the properties. I thought about a hedge, but I'm thinking it might seem odd to have a row of hedges going from my backyard all the way to the street. I agree, those rows of hedges that mark the edge of properties often look strange in a subdivision. But you could mark the edge of your property by putting beds that curve into your yard at the edges of the property. The side of the bed that is at the edge of your neighbor's property would be straight, and the edges of the bed near your home would be curved. With a tree and some other plants in the bed to frame the house, that would be very nice and mark the edge of your property. The lovely thing about beds is that if they are well-done, they don't require as much maintenance as grass. As far as black-topping the driveway - I love the look of black-topped driveways further north. But I was raised in south Georgia, and there's a reason our driveways aren't black. If you and your husband are young and plan to have kids, a light-colored driveway would be easier for them to tricycle on, color with sidewalk chalk on, etc. Landscape your yard well, with a plan as outsideplaying says, and then pick the colors for your door. Our first house was gray with burgandy shutters and cream colored trim. Our landscape architect was able to highlight the colors of our home by picking plants that played well with the burgandy. But it's much easier to pick paint than plants, so pick your landscaping first. For example, if you plant pink azaleas, you might not want a coral door. But if you plant some gorgeous Miss Huff Lantana, you might love, love, love an orange/red door with it. If you are new to landscaping, I know it sounds so much easier and faster to focus on the door color, the shutters, etc. But landscaping will give you the biggest wow for your money. But get some input from a professional first. You'll be surprised how much better your home will look with some nicely laid out beds trenched at the edges and mulched with pine straw. Even if there are only a few plants in there to start with. But get a plan first. Have fun deciding what to do with your new home!

Mary, I too, was expecting a picture that would make me feel better about the state of my own garden:) You certainly have nothing to be ashamed of. Your front yard is a work in progress. I have seen front yards that don't look half that nice, and those people considered it good(and finished). With the drought in CA, ugly front yards are almost becoming the norm around here. Yours is far from ugly, AND your working to improve it. I've found that people on this forum are very friendly and eager to help. They've been better than any book or article because my specific questions get answered, for my specific climate, rose, soil, yard, etc.... I love this place! It helps everyone give better advice when they can get a visual. I think a fence with big tea(or climbing) roses planted on the inside would be lovely. They will grow up and over the fence, cascading down on the street side. I'm betting the fence won't even be visible once the roses really grow in. Having the roses inside your fence also means more of your rose care can be done from the more private side of the fence. I'm not all that fond of being watched as I go about my gardening. I like to wear my junkiest clothes for gardening. The clarkia looked great. The good thing about them is the way they self seed and you get a ton of fresh plants next spring. I always look forward to seeing them return. Is the white flower on the right a clarkia as well? I had a beautiful white one 2 years ago, but for some reason I didn't get any white seedlings this past spring. They do make great cut flowers though, so it's possible that I didn't leave much on the plant to produce seed. How about a picture of your backyard now? We all love pictures. I have both Felicia and Cornelia. I'm debating about where to place Cornelia and its outgrowing its container. Time to make up my mind! Seeing yours might help me out:) Lisa

All the yard fences I see around my neighborhood are houses that have a garage facing the street. My garage faces sideways. I'm looking for ideas or common practice on this type of yard. Is the only way to run fence across driveway and put in a sliding driveway gate?

The Bronze Loquat (non-fruiting type), Eriobotrya deflexa, makes a good small shade tree, evergreen. It does help to have a skilled arborist shape it in its youngest years for the most beautiful multi-stemmed form, but at small sizes it is not a great expense. A neighbor has two trios of them, all multi-stemmed. They look beautiful year round and provide good shade. Citrus is also a good idea as they are beautiful trees, quite apart from the fruit. There is a lot of climate variation in the Bay Area, check to see what Citrus is appropriate for your specific area. Avocado produces very dense shade and have the potential to get quite large 30-40', however they take very harsh pruning. Root system is sensitive and should be shaded and not compacted by being walked on. Look also at the Sunset Western Garden book section on "patio trees". Most any library in California has that book if you don't want to buy a copy. A medium or large shrub can be limbed up as a small shade tree as well, so don't think you have to limit yourself to the "tree" section of the garden center.