Analysis first, then plan, as Tookoo recommends. Use native plants, as neotoma recommends. Get specific plant recommendations locally, as Terri & sgelade recommend. Here is my two cents worth, for the shortterm. a. Remove and stockpile the lawn edging and most of the mulch back against the fences. b. Take a can of spray paint, or a bundle of surveyor's flag, and mark the largest circular or curved form that will fit within the fenced areas, no matter where the trees stand (inside or outside of the line) to form the temporary edge of your lawn area. See if the entire family agrees on the alignment or just do what looks best to you as the Senior Gardener. c. Add the wood edging to the new edge, or, it will look a lot better if the edge is not visible, using a steel edge whose top edge is down just above the grass roots and no longer visible, and not an impediment to the lawn mower. (when you form the plant beds, you will dig down a couple inches at the edge, where it meets the steel, and then slope the bed up from there, and the mulch will be contained at the level of the lawn, beyond) My recommendation, after you call in your landscape advisor, is to fill the beds totally with ground cover, beneath the shrubs, so no mulch will be seen after the two years of plant growth, using only a finer textured mulch which will become part of the soil bed. (Maybe the bark mulch will smell good in your new fire pit, along with the wood edging.) d. Plant the entire area with grass seed or sod and enjoy the beauty. The curved edge will make the space appear and feel larger and will decrease the maintenance of the smaller bed areas. On the subject of tree placement: analyse first, then plan. Look at all the views beyond your fenceline from all windows of the house, the living/ dining areas, all the bedrooms, to enhance the good views and to block the big, the bad, and the ugly. The large trees on your list will block views from the upper windows, The small horizontally branched trees will be a piece of sculpture in your downstairs view throughout the year, while their flowering and fragrance yet another reason to be alive. For instance, if you have an attractive small tree that has attractive flowers and foliage, PLUS has attractive bark color and has a sculptural quality in the off-season, you won't have to visit the museum quite as often, with a sculpture garden right out your window.

Hi guys We love both! A common misconception we've found with freestanding baths and spas is that they're simply be too heavy to move around for cleaning purposes. To make cleaning manageable, our 100% Australian made baths and spas are manufactured using Gelcoat composite construction which is extremely strong yet not overly heavy (5mm thickness to ensure structural rigidity and increased thermal properties). So one of our baths is typically around the 40-50kg mark which allows most people to easily slide the bath out from the wall for easy cleaning access. Freestanding stone baths are a different story altogether! Regards, Brad AQVA Luxury Baths & Spas

Hi Joanna We love both! A common misconception we've found with freestanding baths and spas is that they're simply be too heavy to move around for cleaning purposes. To make cleaning manageable, our 100% Australian made baths and spas are manufactured using Gelcoat composite construction which is extremely strong yet not overly heavy (5mm thickness to ensure structural rigidity and increased thermal properties). So one of our baths is typically around the 40-50kg mark which allows most people to easily slide the bath out from the wall for easy cleaning access. Freestanding stone baths are a different story altogether! Regards, Brad AQVA Luxury Baths & Spas

Hi Annie We get asked about the weight of freestanding baths all the time as people assume they will simply be too heavy to move around for cleaning purposes, which may be the case with a solid stone bath. To make cleaning manageable, our baths and spas are manufactured using Gelcoat composite construction which is extremely strong yet not overly heavy (5mm thickness to ensure structural rigidity and increased thermal properties). This allows most people to easily slide the bath out from the wall for easy cleaning access. I hope that helps with your dilemma! Regards, Brad AQVA Luxury Baths & Spas