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O.k.--here it goes. Be forewarned I've had my noon meds so I'm somewhat under the influence.

When we bought this house almost two years ago it was a gardeners disaster. There was not a tree the wife didn't love and wouldn't think of cutting any including saplings. The house came with a lot and a half(the half shared with our next door neighbor.We couldn't see the neighbor's house due to the dense underbrush & trees. Heck, we couldn't even see the lake from our back deck for the trees.

What flower gardening they had done was all wrong--putting sun lovers in the shade and shade lovers in what little sun the place got.

We also had a somewhat vacant lot on the other side for our house.But instead of just keeping it mowed,etc. we bought the darn thing. It has a small cabin with nice concrete steps down to a dock with a gazebo on it. Nice, but more work.

We spent the first year clearing and burning brush just so we could get down to the soil to plant flowers.

I've already mentioned our terracing project to tame the steep hill down to the lake. We've put in the first terrace and walk. Three more to go! Anyway we have a similar problem with our back deck and stairs. At least you had lattice. We have nothing but the ugly underneath of the deck in full view of all who pass by on the lake.

To cover that we've put in buddleias(sp.) and rose bushes both of which are to grow to at least 6-10 ft. Then I've ordered those new cascading petunias to cascade down from the edge of the deck.The rest of the terrace has huge irises(transplanted from the previous owners' bad ,overcrowded places),lilies, needle leaf coreopsis,day lilies of various types,and bordered with pansies.

I love your zinnia idea as we bulldozed the bottom part of the hill to make a flat section to the seawall. However that is out of the question--too many neighborhood dogs tramping through. we don't have a solution yet for down there. The easiest would be grass but then you have to mow it.

And I haven't even gone into all my window boxes and hanging plants!

Next project--raised beds around the front and sides of the house(keep the doggies from trampling the flowers!) and a raised bed under the large trees in the front yard.

So much work, so little time and energy! I'm like you-- I can no longer do it all and sometimes wish we could just move to our condo in the Ozarks! Or next door to the little cabin. It might come to that! We affectionately call all these grounds modifications as our ten year plan. I don't think I can make it that long.Literally.

My hubby,knowing my love for growing things is hoping all this will give me the will to live ten more years or at least until a new treatment is approved for my condition.

If you just miss all this gardening you have a standing invitation to come on over and garden here to your hearts content. Or just sit in the swing and watch the sun come up with a hot cup of coffee gazing out on the lake and listening to the birds.... just don't forget those gardening gloves!