Wanderbug - Yes, surprisingly little blackberry in general. The grass from front walk to junipers (love the VW comment!) is 10'. Your photos are handsome so will keep them in mind for the future. Suspect they will first be concentrating on creating a "lounging" space in the back and just try to get planting areas in front figured out for now. The new patio in backyard will be 20' by 27' approx., centering on the window in back which is kitchen eating area inside. Don't know they've given much thought to WHAT to do in design of it. They were able to include a new patio in their financing since the existing patio, after 50 years, was slightly sinking toward the house. The new patio will be a cement product...perhaps just laid in a large squares pattern. Such a large area has to have "segments"...don't know what that would be called...joints? Just enough pattern to keep it from cracking but not enough get into realm of "fancy" or expensive. What do people think? Plain brushed cement or aggregate? Not sure what the style is now when one is doing contemporary patios. I suggested down the road they could eventually do some rectangular, raised planters (could clad them in horizontal, stained slats), maybe incorporating some clean-lined benches (daughter-in-law has mentioned she likes that look) thus tying the back in with any privacy fencing they might put in near front door. Plants in pots will have to do for time being on new back patio. When we rent the trencher for the sprinkler system, we'll be laying in a French drain at the base of the ivy slope in back to help divert water from the house to the sides of the property. Any hints on constructing French drains? The drain pipes on the back of the house were missing! So once those get repaired and some additional drainage put in, I think the water won't be such an issue. The house is located right between a "moderate" to "low" earthquake hazard area so that's hopeful. I purposefully steered them away from houses built in what I call "jello" areas. We also suggested they run a pipe under the new patio as a holding space out toward the ivy slope in case they eventually want to have a gas BBQ or fireplace out there. The Douglas Firs begin immediately at the property line and fill the neighbors property of about 1/2 acre so the needles are definitely acidifying the soil. But, except in tight-squeeze suburbia where all trees have been removed to provide a blank slate, it's hard to get away from their effect here in NW, as you know. But it keeps the rhoddies, azaleas, etc. happy so you just have to amend for other items. Both front and back lawns have quite a bit of moss. Anyone know of a grass that does better in shade? We'll treat for the moss then thought we might over seed, adding a grass more shade tolerant...is there one? I know lawns are going out of style but for now and in the homeowners' stage of life, I think both expansive lawn areas are here to stay for a while. KatherineD - I've always torn out the blue violets that have sprouted in my yard...just seemed they had the potential to be such a nuisance. But now one has entered my yard that has a larger bloom and is more of a pink blossom...it looks like an actual plant rather than a weed with a tiny blossom. I can see how you like them - especially in that picture with the large drift of them. After the cement blocks to the side of the driveway and lava rock (ick!) at the bottom of the juniper bed get power-washed, I hope the creeping phlox (blue-ish lavender color) cascading over them will look good. Also thought some wooly thyme mixed in will add color at another time of the year. Thought we might come up with some dark red plants to mix in front juniper bed to tie lava rock in...maybe heuchera? Any thoughts of something low maintenance? Other than the blossoms that shoot up from huechera that eventually should be cut back, the foliage is low maintenance.

It is hard to tell from the pictures what the lighting conditions are, but assuming the hedge is not going in full shade, the following plants provide some options at different heights: Green Mountain Boxwood, can grow to 3'w x 5'ht but takes well to pruning and can be maintained at a smaller size DeGroot's Arborvitae, can grow to 5'w x 20'ht is one of the narrowest Arborvitae available Skyrocket Juniper, can grow up to 3'w x 15'ht is one of the narrowest Junipers A few deciduous options would be: Tor's Spirea, can grow up to 30"w x 30"ht but takes well to pruning and can be cut back in early spring. Has white flowers and attractive fall color. Green Mound Alpine Currant, can grow up to 30"w x 30" ht and takes pruning well. No significant flowering or fall color, but very rugged and durable plant. Hummingbird Clethra, can grow up to 30"w x 30" ht can be pruned but is a looser plant. Has attractive, fragrant flowers and yellow fall color.

I am new to garden web and recently lost all my privacy as a whole row of Leyland Cypress became diseased and were removed. I want a "conifer" type look and am considering arborvitae, possibly Degroots Spire. I need a tall narrow shape that will max out at 15-20 feet, but I hate Podicarpus and don't want Italian Cypress either. Can Degroots grow in my area? These will be placed along a slumpstone wall. I live in Zone 10--L.A. area

It's unfortunate that some people are so closed-minded about anything different. But that's why the world is in the state that it is in. I'll bet those same people believed a man walked on water 2000 years ago. I say that not to question or belittle anyone's faith but to point out that if you can have blind faith in that scenario why can't you have blind faith that burning a dried plant can also work a miracle? But I digress....... I am the kind of person who always looks for the most rational logical, scientific explanation there is for anything. But even I, after increasing negative feelings in my newly built house probably similar to the bad contractor or be-grudging neighbor syndrome mentioned by posters above, started reading about smudging and feng shui almost to the exclusivity of anything else in my life because the bad vibes just had me so anxious, a state in which I was unused to being. I read somewhere that burning sage works because " The smoke from dried sage actually changes the ionic composition of the air, and can have a direct effect on reducing our stress response." (I am always amazed at how we forget that nature provides all that is does for a reason). So there is a scientific reason why it works. Again, some of us accept certain things on blind faith but things that have actually been scientifically proven we "poo poo", to steal someone else's phrase. Anyway, I regularly burn incense and essential oils to clear my house. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't and things still feel slightly gloomy. But it felt a heck of a lot better in 2017 then it did in 2015 and 2016.