Wow, you've got a lot of stuff going on there.

I bet you can get some good "hands-on" help from a local garden club or from your county agricultural extension office.

& there's a New Jersey Forum, a Roses Forum (they'll want the name of the rose or a photo), a New to Gardening Forum, & a Lawn Forum on gardenweb, all of which have people who are very knowledgeable in each particular area.

Do you know when your home was built, what style it is, what the dimensions of the lot are, etc?

That will help the knowledgeable people on this forum to give you some guidance...and, again, a photo would help.

The main thing for a new gardener to remember, I think, is that gardening is fun & that you can change & re-arrange as you learn more & as your tastes change.

Best luck, & have fun!