I think you are right to question your current plan before moving forward and possibly having major regrets. Yardvaark already said most of what I was going to say upon looking at your sketch... The little triangular areas at the ends are only going to collect dirt. I can understand wanting a patio to be deep enough to accommodate a table, chairs, grill, etc., without feeling cramped, but I don't think you need all that width to create a very spacious, usable patio. The half octagon formed by your bay windows also jumped out at me, and I could easily see repeating that to make a symmetrical patio that's as deep as you need it to be. Then, if you want, you could repeat the octagonal theme where you now show your circular patio. I also agree that the stair placement would feel more comfortable coming from the middle of the large patio rather than where it is currently shown. And I think the built in seating idea would be great. Maybe you can incorporate some of the same stone used in your retaining wall? It seems like you extended the patio in the plan for lack of other landscaping ideas rather than because you really need a super wide patio. Even with the 3' restrictions on plant material in that area, I think there is a LOT you could do with plants. I'd bet Bahia is right on that no one would consider you in violation of the rules if you have some wispy perennials and grasses that extend higher than 3' during their bloom periods, and there are plenty of shrub options that would stay in bounds as well. I can understand not wanting to maintain a small swath of lawn, but another idea to consider would be a meadow grass that you don't have to mow more than once or twice a year, and you can pepper it with wildflowers if you like a naturalized look. See if your library has a copy of "The American Meadow Garden" by John Greenlee for some beautiful options that might fit your site and tastes. Since you've already said you are open to hiring a landscape designer, I would recommend you keep looking for one with whom you feel comfortable. Someone who listens to your needs and "gets" your taste and has ideas that impress you. I'm not sure how many people you interviewed when you were first looking or how you got their names, but there must be someone out there who would be a good fit for your needs. If you like someone else's hardscapes, that would be a great place to ask for a recommendation, or you could go to your favorite nurseries and ask for business cards there. That is what someone on this forum recommended to me when I was in a very similar situation to you last year, and after sorting through many business cards and web sites, I managed to interview someone who just clicked. We were also looking to extend our patio, add/modify pathways, build a small seating/retaining wall, and reduce lawn, among other things. Even with my detailed, to-scale drawing on graph paper (6 pieces taped together), I just didn't feel comfortable moving forward without a professional set of eyes to look over everything. The design help wasn't cheap, but now that our hardscapes changes are complete, we are very pleased with the end result, and I don't think that would have been the case if we'd plunged in with my hand drawing... That is what we did the first time we hired a landscape company to do basic hardscapes, and I think it was a big part of why I wasn't happy with our first attempt at landscaping. We got what we paid for both times. Now granted, that first hand drawn plan was much less detailed and I knew MUCH less about landscaping, gardening, and how we wanted to use the yard back then, but still, I know we could not have gotten where we are today (or anywhere close to it) without the designer's help during the planning phase. There was no one else I interviewed that even came close to her though, and I don't think any of the other designers would have done a better job than what I already had come up with myself, so I know what you are saying... You haven't found the right person to help you with this project. Given that you are having second thoughts, I would recommend hitting the pause button until you have a plan with which you are really confident. Sorry this post is so long, I just feel like I can relate to your situation and would hate for you to end up feeling like you have to live with regrets.

I did a fair amount of looking around online before posting and couldn't quite figure out if my bloom browning/rotting had a similar pattern or not -- there is so much emphasis on the "netted" pattern of the browning of the petals, which mine don't seem to have, just brown mushiness in the very center, although maybe the disease just hadn't progressed far enough yet. Given how new it was (and the fact that it was a freebie, long story), I finally decided to just get rid of it rather than spending $$ on fungicides that might or might not help, and risking the 2 healthy established camellias I do have. I scooped up every dropped bloom, petal, leaf, and bud, as well as the leaf mulch beneath the bush and the top 1" or so of soil, and put it all -- and the plant -- in the trash can. I hope I've managed to stop the spores from becoming established in my garden.... Thanks for your help!

Not sure, Marie, but I haven't heard of them. We have a number of retirement homed, with 24-hour staff, but they are rather expensive. Dad lived in a senoioors' facility where he had a small apt., could later move to a room and walk to dining room, then to a room where the staff delivered meals. It was a subsidized situation, I think - in Regina, Sask. ole joyful

Things not looking great again. Yesterday we discovered that 2 of our 3 new Totos arrived broken. I guess it's not that big a deal as they will be replaced, but now we have to wait again for new ones. We had a meeting with the GC on Tuesday night to discuss how things are going. It didn't go well. He says that I am nice to the whole crew, but not to him and that's why he barely comes to the house. He said the whole crew had noticed 'how I treat him' and that in 10 years of business he has never had this problem before. So now I feel uncomfortable in my own home. Now I'm wondering if it's me that's the problem. He called the following day to apologize for how he spoke to me, but I really don't much want to talk to him at all any more. He is asking us to eat a lot of extra expense (including most of the $940 Home Depot bill) because of all the 'extras' he has done including 'thousands' in additional plumbing work for free (?). He says we can go over the contract again but it will end up costing us thousands because he will charge for all the extras he's done. We appear to now be paying for wiring and other items I had no idea would be on the list. I thought he was paying for behind the walls stuff and we were paying for the 'pretty' stuff (including paint, but wiring??). My husband has stepped in to talk to him and yet I don't feel satisfied with that arrangement either. GC was meant to go to Home Depot for $80 worth of unidentified stuff (paid for by us) and when the Home Depot person called for our cc number (which GC no longer has) it was for $175. For 'wiring and boxes'. Huh? The problem is I just don't trust him and I guess the GC feels that and is (understandably) offended by it. But when we ask for receipts he flashes them at us and then says he needs them back. It's like the Hone Depot receipt debacle all over again. But we DO have extra issues that SHOULD be resulting in extra charges - the problem is getting numbers out of him for the extra issues is tough. So our sunroom leak issues and retiling (over the existing) bathroom floor are costing an additional $2400 on top of the $940 which he owed us from the Home Depot thing, but we didn't know that until he's ripped out carpeting and the place is a disgusting mess and we have no choice really but to do the work. I just wish he would tell us what this stuff would cost before starting it! I don't know what to do at this point. I feel like every time we question something he has a million explanations and excuses which never really tell you anything. He talks a mile a minute and you can't get a word in edgewise. I know we should be paying for the unexpected stuff, but the way it happens is so backwards and confusing to me and I end up wondering what is going on. Why for example have we paid $500 for insulation product as part of the contract as well as $814 in insulation as part of that Home Depot bill (that's NOT part of his $940 building materials which was all dry wall) and yet he says the remainder of the insulation in rolls downstairs isn't ours. It's his? He says we have to eat the $500 for insulation that was in the contract because he underbid the installation part of insulating and because we owe him so muc for the extra plumbing (which he hadn't mentioned before and we thought was included). Another example. He ran wiring for the baby's room high hats and ceiling fan. Told me the switch was slightly off center and not to straighten it or it might short. A couple of days later it stopped working. He says it's a coincidence and the wiring must have been 'chewed by rats or squirrels' and that it's an unforeseen issue. this seems like a remarkable coincidence to me. I thought if we contracted that he was installing 4 recessed lights and a fan, that meant they should work? The house has a newer panel with a ton of electric amps, but I guess that doesn't mean no problems. Maybe we're being unreasonable in our expectations. Apparently most people around here tell him to go ahead and fix unforeseen issues and just send them a bill. It's very possible as there's a lot of money around here. But we would like to know what things will cost in advance. He seems to take this as a personal insult. :( DH thinks he's on cocaine. I would not be surprised. I am exhausted and this has turned into a book. Sorry. Just needed to vent again.