I read on the other site that you want to down play the lattice. That can be done with evergreen foundation bushes. Osmanthus gets tall quickly, stays green (2 types-one with holly like leaves and one with oval leaves) and has a wonderful scent. As it grows it can be trimmed out at the bottom like a tree. It will grow in your area. Then you can play with the area in the front of the foundation bed with smaller shrubs and flowers. Please don't plant Bradford pear trees--they are weak wood and large branches split off easily in ice and wind storms--then they look awful. Dogwoods, maples, cherries and some evergreen trees would all look great. Idea Share's tree is somewhat the shape of a Japanese Maple and could be incorporated in your foundation planting. There are great landscaping books at the public library and big hardware box stores that show specimen plants--roses, flowering shrubs etc. And give landscaping plans that you can adjust to your wants and needs. Start studying and researching!

Well in the absence of more information, there is some scope for imagination here. I'd say this is a house that could use some foundation planting. I don't even know what direction it faces so how much sun it gets or doesn't, so can't visualize type of plant, but I'd make a really deep bed and a nice shrub border I think; something that would stay neatly trimmed, though, so as to not overwhelm the house. Now, Kansas... does that mean snow in winter? If so, the hellstrip could remain unplanted for space to throw snow, and another deep border could be put in the yard right at the public sidewalk. Depending on traffic, these are a bit of a pain due to accumulating litter and dogs, though, so I might actually consider a fence or hedge to enclose the whole yard if you want to garden much. If not, I think a lower mixed border, shrubs and perennials or annuals, would work. I would not go along the two sides of the walkway. I'd leave the right side open to the yard so you could go into what I would make a semi-circular lawn surrounded by beds, maybe with some decorative boulders to provide some countour, and a small clipped boxwood hedge to the left of the walkway, enhanced by annuals. Is that your driveway on the right or the neighbour's walk? If it's your driveway, do you need to get across the yard to your door? If so, nice excuse for a pathway. If not, I'd do a low hedge on that side too to define the boundary and set off your plants. And possibly another tree at the right front corner.

I don't know if you are in northern or southern Nevada but either way I'm glad you are opting for a desert landscape in the driest state in the US. We've lived in Las Vegas for 22 years and desert landscaping has become increasingly common here and there are so many great examples around town to look at and get ideas from. That is what I would do if I were you. I don't know what you mean by modern desert landscaping but certainly the landscaping I see in newer communities are usually nicer than some of the older ones. If you don't have good examples in your neighborhood you could go to some of the newer areas and try to find a look you like and then try to copy it. I would make sure to put some thing to hide your hose and piping up against the front of your house. Agaves do great here but you might not want something with thier wicked spines by your walk but a smaller variety of texas ranger(leucophyllum) or baccharis kept pruned might work for you there. I don't know what way your house faces or if you are in So N. but aloe vera grows well here in LV so long as it isn't in the west sun exposure and it would be taller than wide and might look nice up against your house and maybe have a bit of a modern look. Your tree looks like it might be a desert willow. They are great trees but can look a little rough in the winter if you have a variety that keeps its seed pods when it loses its leaves. I would be sure to put in plants that will look good in the winter to off set that. There are some great choices and the desert plants are much more likely to survive and be healthy than non desert plants. Maria

" I wanted to do some type of patio in the middle with planting around the edges... Our intention is strictly landscaping, no structure." Since "landscaping" can consist of anything that might be in the landscape: walks, wall, drive, fence, plantings, etc.... we might not know what you mean by "no structure"... after you say you want to do "some type of patio...". SOMEONE must think of what goes where (do the design) and it will either be you with assistance from here, or it will be a designer that you hire. If you think you want to design the space, you might start be creating a scale base plan that shows the existing elements that will remain. Posting the base plan here will make it easier for people to comprehend the space and you will need it anyway if you're going to do the design. Including pictures that show how the space relates to the house and surrounding areas will be useful. So far, the pictures don't give a feel for how the house and space work together. Wouldn't you want a pathway connection between house and patio? So far, we can't see where that could possibly go. (The first picture is no good because of the intense shadow.) (BTW, you can post multiple photos in the same post; just list the code for each in succession.) It will be helpful if you describe in greater detail your objectives. For example, what size of a patio? Any thoughts on material to make it from? Want shade? Privacy? Screening? Etc. If you have an idea of the size, shape and location for a patio, you should show it and get feedback on it.