My response is not meant to be taken literally or comprehensively. It's just about a direction you might take to fix some things. 1. house needs visual separation from neighboring properties....higher level foliage mass of large shrubs/small trees. 2. upper portion of house looks exposed and unprotected...needs tree(s)overhead. 3. circle of small palms look to be without purpose and isolated from one another. Transplant into cluster at right side of front yard. 4. Cycads have strong "art" form. (They look like vases stuffed with bouquet.) Move to be front yard corner markers or to be as "gateway" at either side of walk/entrance (with LOTS of room to walk between them.) 5. small groundcover plants are spaced out spotty like a disease...consolidate into masses around other taller plants. 6. mulch looks ragged. hide bigger chunks and top dress all with finer grade mulch. 7. To me, it seems that the two palms (that we can't see top of) are troublesome because there are too many other things going wrong. If I was putting them in new, I'd probably put a cluster of 3 in one location (to the side) but I think if you fix the other things, they will not seem bothersome. 8. The front of the house has too much plain wall showing. I'm not showing it in my sketch, but I'd probably grow climbing roses (or something) on two simple, custom trellises...one at each side of the front window.

Ruth: I think your instinct to curve the walk is a good one. I'd also suggest curved plant bed. I am not sure that azaleas are appropriate for a spot that gets morning to mid-afternoon sun. There is a great book called Mid-Atlantic Home Landscaping by Rodger Holmes that will give you some very good ideas for landscaping your front yard. Imagine a nice small tree, like a serviceberry, sweetspire, a butterfly bush, and daylillies in a curved bed. There is a good book called Paths and Walkways by Hazel White that will give you ideas for your pathway.

Please use new listing, thanks. Ron

Please use the December Rose List, Thank you. Happy New Year, Ronald Schwerdt