Well, the FRONT yard is done. Mostly. It IS trial and error over time, right? I love it because it's all me and exactly what I was after; it solved a few problems well and looks great with the house. I have a fondness for year-round interest and like my beds even in winter. I drew a plan in crayon on construction paper before the boxes were unpacked in this house, and a few years later had my vision professionally installed. The designer said I was their toughest customer yet because I knew exactly what I wanted, and it's hard to get inside someone else's head (vs handing money to a nursery and saying "here make it look pretty"). Being new to Va I did need help with picking some plant varieties, but I had the textures and colors all laid out in my head. I also had already installed a few "anchor" plants that are now established and worked out perfectly.