@ woody, my main complaint about the wedge beds is not how they affect or don't affect maintenance, but that they look bad. To have the arrowhead shape bed greeting you as you arrive into its space is not friendly and welcoming. It's not attractive in ground hugging 2-d design. If it's a 3-d shape, it's attractiveness lessens with every inch of height it gains. The shape is in contradiction to the growth patterns of almost any plant. Usually these beds are planted in contradiction to their true shape which helps lessen the mistake of their existence. How about offering a picture of any pointed bed that proves me wrong? @ growsveges, overall, I like the shape of the beds/lawn in your last picture. It's remarkably similar to my first suggestion with a couple of detail differences. The only part of it with which I take exception is completely confining the walkway to the front entrance with a planting bed. If what was planted in the bed in front of the entrance was very low, I don't think it would be horrible. If it was very low, colorful flowers that added a lot of cheer, it could even be good. Other than that, it seems to some degree a contradiction to have an expanse of green velvet carpet that leads to the front entrance and then as visitors actually get there, tell them to go elsewhere and enter a different way. Even if people won't actually access the entrance via the front lawn, the appearance that they could completes a thought process that seems logical and sensible. Being confined by foliage along a walk is not necessarily a pleasant experience.

Here are a few thoughts about low maintenance - it's a topic I deal with pretty much on a daily basis with my design clients and nursery customers. * Avoid plants that need regular pruning to keep tidy or to keep size in check. Everything grows and will need the occasional trim or haircut but avoiding sheared hedges and selecting and placing plants correctly based on their ultimate size will reduce this chore to the very infrequent category. *There is a hierarchy of maintenance involved with plant types - the larger and longer lived, generally the less frequent maintenance will be required. Trees typically require less maintenance than shrubs, shrubs less than perennials and perennials less than annuals. The attribute of being evergreen will also significantly reduce maintenance. Edible and fruiting plants generally increase it. Avoid fussy, needy plants like roses or daphne, plants that are only marginally hardy or require winter protection and those that are prone to insect or disease problems. *Invest in some low maintenance aids. An investment in an automatic or drip irrigation system is an excellent one. And the very best low maintenance activity you can do is to mulch your garden regularly. Not only does this help to reduce watering needs but a regularly applied mulch will help to keep weeds in check and an organic based mulch will reduce the need for frequent fertilizing. Whatever you do, avoid bare soil. If you don't mulch, plant low, spreading plants like groundcovers to cover the soil surface. * Reduce planted areas. The more you have planted, the more you must maintain. A large, generous, paved terrace or patio decorated with a couple of easily managed containers can increase your enjoyment of your outdoor areas with far less work on your part. * If you are financially able, hiring a landscape company to do routine maintenance may be the way to go. Often just a monthly or bimonthly visit is sufficient to keep the beds edged, the shrubs well groomed, leaves raked and the weeds at bay.

Wow lots of interesting stuff here! I think there are multiple issues here, and, since the health of the plants isn't great, I would deal with all possible problems rather than hunt down one specific one. If it were me I would do the following, since doing them would fix any of the most likely problems that you may be having. I would change the mix to a free draining one. I would check the roots, and pot into a container that is only a little larger than the rootball. I would put them in a partially sunny position after the repot until they get used to their new mix and pot. I would then move to a sunny location once things started to settle. I would make sure the room had plenty of humidity with gravel trays or a humidity. I would make sure the room was warm, and provide bottom heat to the pots if possible. I would inspect for bugs. Mites and scale seem the most prolific - possibly mites in your case. Webbing is a telltale sign, and sometimes hard to spot, but not always present. I would treat with Toni's spray regardless (she can tell you the ingredients, or you can search previous posts.) If you do spot bugs, use Toni's spray or a suitable one for fruiting plants from a garden centre. I would water these (after the repot) only when the new medium was closer to dry than damp. In a new medium you won't have to worry so much over watering - if it is the right medium it is unlikely you will overwater unless you go nuts with it. Fertilize only very lightly until the tree is back to health, then feed with a high nitrogen feed every couple of weeks. Citrus bounce back, but they take time. These are not by any means the be all and end all of things you should do, they are merely what I personally would do :) Danny

MeMo I was thinking the same thing. A different paint color to give it a bit more cottage charm and stand out a bit more. Yes,the earth tones are nice, I love earth tones, but on the outside it tends to blend in with the ah...earth. I like the idea of a path perhaps flagstone going from the sidewalk right up to the front door. I also like the idea of the plants around the patio for privacy and a bit of a grassy area where you have the hose but I also think that if you did a path going up to the front door that a small plot of grass an the otherside would be nice as well. I would then fill in with flowers, shrubs, and roses all along the edge of the yard in curving beds with low plants along the path way on either side. If you are afraid of plants swallowing up the house keep the taller plants to the right and a bit in front of the patio and med.and small along the front yard. A fence and arbor are also a good idea like moonphase said. Oh and if your not going with the tropical cottage look then I would (if it were me) take out the palm and in the space between your front windows (hidden behind the palm) put a trellis with a climbing rose up it. Even if you are going with the tropical look I would take it out as it is low and blocking the house. Put in maybe some taller palms if you want a tree there. Meghan