Why anyone felt it was necessary to resurrect and add on to an inactive 12 year old thread is a bit strange........but let me just add this comment. Japanese maples produce shallow and extremely sensitive root systems that resent any sort of disturbance. In fact, it is extremely easy to introduce often fatal disease issues by damaging these roots. So whatever one chooses to underplant their JMs with, it should be something that can be left undisturbed and with non-invasive roots. No annuals that require yearly replacement or perennials that will need frequent division. Smaller, non-suckering shrubs are fine but should be planted simultaneous to the maple. Or any low growing, shallow rooted groundcover.

Excellent! Glad to hear that Crassula arborescens is a more thirsty variety. I am slowly planning landscaping part of my yard with succulents. Before I relandscape, I am in the process of trying out individual specimens to see what fares best in my climate. Sounds like Crassula arborescens might be a good landscape candidate. jonaskragebaer - I have to say, I know very little about Denmark. During your wet summers, how hot is it there? My (admittedly limited) trials with succulents show that it isn't the wet alone, but the wet+heat that does them in. Seems like succulents most hate the combination of high humidity combined with nighttime temps not dropping below 80 degrees F.

Grass needs lots of sun to look good. There is no chance of having a decent lawn with all that shade. You may want to try and put in a shade loving garden to improve the look of your yard.

I'm a firm believer in a flex/getaway room, but you have plenty of those. I agree that what this house needs is one large living area for the family to gather. If you are hoping for your children to grow up and for you to retire in this house, this plan is not the plan for a large family gathering! A couple of friends, kids, their spouses, a couple of grandkids, and that room is going to seem like a closet. (With three sons-in-law and 3 grandkids, I know of which I speak! :) ) Anyway, the back six feet of the room are dedicated to hall area, so you won't have any furniture there, and the opening to the other two walls have doors on them. This makes the family room about 13' X 15', which seems EXTREMELY small for a house this size. You will have to squeeze behind the chairs to walk into the "getting away" room and you will have to squeeze behind chairs to get out to the porch. Where else you would you put additional seating? It's a nice plan, and I like the upstairs, especially, but it doesn't seem suited to your purposes. If I were building a house to grow old in, I would want something more spacious than the study/bathroom on the first floor and certainly more closet space. Perhaps you could put more money into more square footage there, and finish out some of the rest of the house at a later time. Good luck! There's certainly a lot to be excited about in this plan. :)