Hey all, I have been using this site for years but this is my first post! It's a long one since I feel like this is an introduction. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I did not have a good picture, so here is roughly a thousand words:

I am near New Orleans, Louisiana and am looking to fully landscape my front yard, albeit a small piece each year. The yard is 26-ft from sidewalk to house and 70-ft wide. I have a circular driveway with a double car garage on the right side of my house. I do not have a formal plan but have two sources of inspiration. The first is the "Small Front Yard" landscape plan at BHG. The second is a recommended plant selection list from a neighborhood nursery. What I don't have is a good comprehensive plan so this is where the fun and questions come it.

Last year I tackled my foundation shrubs so this year I am doing my driveway island (circle driveway). The island is approximately 36-ft wide along the sidewalk and about 9-ft from the sidewalk to the driveway. Currently, I have a scorched Japanese Maple and a mixed stressed lawn.

The BHG plan includes a Vitex center piece tree underplanted with Rosemary. This is not quite the look I am going for so no.

The local nursery suggested I plant Abelia Kaleidoscope and Double Knock Out Rose shrubs in two arcs with annuals in the center and Agapanthus on the ends. I like this much better with three exceptions. 1, the island is not deep enough for two rows of shrubs and annuals in the foreground. Secondly, I am thinking rose shrubs around the perimeter of the driveway is a bad idea. Thirdly, the plan does not include an ornamental tree, die-ing maple or otherwise.

Right now, I am leaning towards replacing the Japanese Maple with an Eastern Redbud. There a few of these in the area and they all seem to do well. I like that it is a flowering ornamental tree, looses its leaves in the winter and has relatively open branch structure compared to other small trees. My wife likes that it is pink in the spring. For the understory, I am thinking an arc of Abelia but not 100% sold on the Kaleidoscope. For annuals, my wife and I are partial to Begonias.

I have also thought about dwarf Nandina's in place of the Abelias, but they don't really flower so that would be a disappointment to my wife. I want to stick with shrubs in the 2-ft to 3-ft height range without excessive pruning.

I would like your opinions on this. Think the Kaleidoscope and the redbud will work well together? I was thinking confetti but they have not been availably locally for three years now. Would love to hear what you all think.

Some additional background on the rest of my landscape setup. Along the foundation, (outside the driveway, mostly on the left) I have Camelia ShiShi Garcia in several groups of 3 in front of my brick walls and Gardenia Jubilation also in groups of 3 in front of my two windows in between. The area between the Camelias and Gardenias is planted with Begonias annually. I also have single Camelia ShiShis on each side of my front door and garage door.

On the right side of my driveway, I have a double wide approach to my garage. Next year I plant to line this with 3 Savannah Hollies and underplant it with Indian Hawthorns. To tie this in with the island, I will put a group of three shrubs in the front to match what is in the island along with some agapanthus.

I have not finalized my plans for the left outside of the circle driveway but Magnolia Teddy Bear, Encore Azaleas, rose shrubs, indian hawthorns and abelias are all on the table. Like the right side, I plan to tie the island shrubs and bulbs in the front as well. I want to get the island down this year and the right side driveway next year before I really make any decisions.

I am looking forward to any input you all have!
Thanks very much from Metairie, LA
Chris