I have been wanting to respond to this, but haven't had the time until now. rawketgrl has a great idea with long skinny planters, but if you want hanging baskets try combining these plants: coleus, begonias, varigated vinca, ivy geraniums, ivy, and 'Painted Paradise' impatients. (see photo of Impatients 'Painted Paradise" I would not worry about hanging baskets or skinny planters either one. I would put up rope lights around the porch ceiling for a soft glow at night and I would hang large mirrors in the empty spaces between the windows on both sides. They would reflect the sunlight and really brighten the porch. I would also paint the front door BM Yellow Oxide (2154-10) http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/yellowoxide or BM Peanut Butter (2159-20) http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/peanutbutter Either one of these colors will blend in with the surroundings yet say 'Here the front door.' The next thing I would do is put in Annabelle hydrangeas across the front. Then I would sit back for a year and see how these changes look in every season before deciding if I wanted to add Ferns, hostas and other shade loving plants to the planting beds. Or you may like the second design down for your beds:http://erthturf.com/DesignsPerennialShadeGardens.html I would use a camelia or a butterfly bush and forget the magnolia, but that is just me. And lastly I would make sure to keep that cute pooch outside as much as possible because he is the main attraction! ;-) Please keep us updated!

Ground-covers can add interesting contrasts in texture and color to your landscape. Some ground-covers should be used alone, while others, like perennial peanut, can be incorporated into turf and even mowed. Make sure you choose the right ground-cover for your area and landscape. Excellent choices for low maintenance shade ground covers are, “Liriope” and “Mondo grass”. For areas with wet soil, ground cover plant “Lippia” also known as “Matchweed” has outstanding tolerance for this situation. Juniper such as “Compacta” and “Blue Pacific” are drought tolerant ground cover, great for dry areas from lack of irrigation or rainfall. Ground Covering Plants For Central Florida: Asparagus Fern (Full Sun, Part Shade) Asiatic Jasmine (Full Sun, Part Shade) Beach Morning Glory (Full Sun) Begonia (Full Sun, Part Shade), ( Depending On Species ) Blue Daze (Full Sun, Part Shade) Bromeliad (Shade, Part Shade), ( Depending On Species ) Carolina Jasmine (Full Sun, Part Shade) Creeping Juniper (Bar Harbor, Blue Rug) (Full Sun, Part Shade) Dichondra (Full Sun, Part Shade, Shade) Daylilly (Full Sun, Part Shade) Heather Full Sun, Part Shade Japanese Holly, (Full Sun, Part Shade) Liriope (Full Sun, Part Shade, Shade) ( Depending On Species ) Lippia (Match Weed) (Full Sun, Part Shade, Shade) Mondo Grass (Full Sun, Shade) Mimosa (Full Sun, Part Shade) Minema Jasmine (Full Sun, Part Shade, Shade) Shore Juniper (Compacta,Blue Pacific) (Full Sun, Part Shade)

Nice ideas! The photos are helpful. I like the 2nd pic "stone" as it shows the mounds growing over the top of the wall. We could do that but I can not tell what type of plant it is in the pic. The tree is already planted and we are using a gator for watering it, hence the wrapper. This tree will become a very large tree and so I am leery to plant other trees nearby. But I love the idea of a group of small trees in the bend of the road, as handyman suggested.

For the most part, plants decline and die in situations where the amount of food/energy they're able to create (with the help of the sun) is less than they are expending to drive their metabolic processes. It doesn't LOOK like your tree is in any immediate danger of expiring, but symptoms made manifest by ongoing limitations commonly lag the cause by weeks to months. Necrotic leaf tips and margins are far more often than not a symptom of over-watering and/or a high level of dissolved solids (salt) in the soil solution. Occasionally it can be traced entirely to growers watering with their own version of enhanced frequency; more often, it's the result of a poor soil that simply does not allow the grower to water correctly w/o the plant paying a tax in the form of diminished root health because the soil remains saturated long enough to have attained the age of majority. Curing the effects of too much water in the soil starts by using a soil that doesn't hold too much water, and by default, not enough air. Then, using a 'tell' as an indicator of when it's appropriate to water to put a polish on what you practice. I use soils that hold no (or nearly no) excess (perched) water. That means I'd have to work very hard at over-watering. That scenario makes things easy for the grower and easy on the plant. If you've been forever in battle with your chosen soil for control of your plants' vitality, the change that occurs when you switch to a good soil (one that allows you to water correctly [so you're flushing accumulating salts from the soil whenever you water w/o your plant paying 'the tax'], will make it seem like you have somehow done something magic. Too, where a poor soil makes fertilizing something of a helter skelter proposition, good soils make it monkey easy. Your job, as chief grower, is figuring out what is most limiting to your plant and fixing it. This represents the difference between a plant surviving at the outer limits of what it's programmed (genetically) to tolerate and one that's growing in its 'sweet spot'. understanding how soils work, followed by understanding how plants work, are representative of the largest steps forward you'll likely make as a container gardener. There are several links I can suggest if you have interest? Low light and cool temps can cause plants to stall in sort of a consequential dormancy, but nutritional issues and root congestion can do the same; as can the cyclic death and subsequent regeneration of roots as the root mass wobbles back and forth between just right and too wet. Soggy soils kill roots. Before the top can/will grow, the root system has to be able to support new growth, so dead roots have to be replaced. The energy it takes to regenerate roots might have been put toward an increase in the plant's mass. The difference between what a plant is and what it could be is described as lost potential. Even plants that LOOK good can be losing out on an extreme measure of potential; and in plants, lost potential can never be regained under ANY circumstances. If your plant has a droopy or hang-dog look, it's likely from a lack of turgidity (internal water pressure), brought about by too little water, too much water, and/or a high level of dissolved solids in the soil. Unfortunately, after wilting the leaves of F lyrata often don't recover to occupy their former spatial positions. IOW, once they wilt, their attitude usually changes at least partially so that droopy appearance becomes a permanent thing. Try reading this. Al