Tree decisions are really best done from a "felt" perspective on the site, not from a picture taken from outside (and looked at by people who have never been there). So with respect to removal, only do it now if you really want to, not because someone on the internet has said so, even if it is me :-) And I think you still haven't told us what kind of tree it is? It's still possible that it is something really wonderful with deep roots, and if the shade is in exactly the right place, ignoring me IS an option! For new tree placement, start with thinking about where and what time of day you want shade (I don't think you've told us yet which way the house faces). And then, from looking out the windows, which views do you want to block/enjoy? And then, what do you want arriving guests or the pizza delivery guy to be able to see? Imagine the canopy starting at about 8' high. Have once person stand inside and look out while the other goes outside holding something - an upside-down rake or an umbrella - to help imagine what it would look like from inside to have a tree in certain spots. Compare this to the existing tree. Looking out from the house, or from your side door, if you could wave a magic wand, where would you move its canopy to... right, the left, or lower? Sometimes we have certain ideas in our heads that we have to work through or see before we can let go of them, and I detect you have a certain adherence to plantings lining the walkway! The sidewalk does make a handy edge, and it is nice to have growing things to enjoy as you walk to the front door (although you more often use the other door, you say). And it gives you a place to start - it can be scary to let go of the edge and plunge a shovel somewhere in the middle of the yard. The downside of these edge plantings is that they are constraining. Hard to have a fridge delivered, or to bring Aunt Mabel in for Christmas dinner with her walker, or along the driveway, hard to open a car door and step out. I am showing below a doodled idea that expands the sidewalk a bit, but whether you plant along a sidewalk or driveway that is narrow or wide, going tall along it - with trees - is not a good idea. Constraining your feet with low plants is one thing, constraining your shoulders or head is another. Near my parents' place, some idiot planted a weeping birch right by the public sidewalk. Someone shorter than me prunes the canopy to a height that is comfortable for them :-) On a rainy night, this is... annoying! Karin L PS Bearing in mind that I am neither artist nor professional designer, here is one idea sketched onto your plan view. If you print out a few more copies of the blank that you posted, you can doodle your way to a design that suits you. This expands a bit on your sidewalk slab, and then plants adjacent to it, in a curve that mirrors the curved bed of shrubs you might put at the corner. You can place new trees into the shrubbery bed or in the central grass area however it best suits you. Whether you extend the beds along the straight parts or just have the curved parts depends on just how much planting area you want. On the outside of your semicircular shrub bed, something like carpet junipers might be the best thing - that way people won't walk over it but it will be both low and attractive.

There is no elevation study for this home and according to my insurance agent, I won't need one done in order to get flood insurance. I only want to lay a patio or put a ground level deck in right outside my patio door. The lake isn't *that* close so I don't anticipate there being a problem with doing this.

I'm going back and forth on adding in some small streaks of the green and bits of silver. Here's what I'm thinking as of now: 1) Base coat - Color match to the beige/light gray in the pillow that comes with set (see picture of forest green comforter I added above.) 2) Add a FEW streaks ("strie"- the vertical lines), of the green and light gray (or whatever the "beige/light gray" pillow color is). I would add maybe 1 streak of each every 7 - 8 inches. I probably wouldn't even be using a teaspoon of each color for the entire wall. I doubt it would even show in the pictures, but when one is in the room, they would see a very subtle lines of the green and light gray. And if I even change the comforter, I could just paint over the green and light gray streaks. 3) Add the metallic paint (something light and "pearly") as the final coat on the headboard wall. 4) Paint the rest of the walls in the base coat (the beige/ light gray color matched from the pillow.) I really like the "drama" of the forest green comforter against the light walls. I also love that large gold metallic vase in @Molly 's picture. Thinking of doing something like that in a pewter. Now just have to find a massive vase that doesn't cost $300+ dollars.

It's nice to hear the "do nothing" solutions! I just have a couple concerns with that. I can't just leave the grass growing there, as I could get fined. And I don't want to be stuck constantly trimming the hard to reach places on the slope. Erosion. Should I be worried about the trees? Nature/weeds taking over the lawn.