Hello Gardeners,

Here is a picture of my sad front yard, (it's about half an acre) where the previous owner planted a row of hawthorne shrubs all lined up along the left side of the walkway, with just centipede grass on the right side. My dream is to create an expanded perennial garden with curves in the front yard along the walkway, but I just haven't a clue what to plant, or where to start. If anybody's been to the Children's Museum place in downtown Raleigh, they have a children's perennial garden out in the back, that I've always admired, and wish I could duplicate in my front yard. Does anybody know of a reasonable landscape designer in the Raleigh area, that can do naturalistic landscape design using perennials and small trees in a front yard? Or is there anybody out there that's a talented hobbyist garden who can offer their services? I would do all the soil prep and planting myself. I just don't want to waste any money putting the wrong plant in the wrong place! I would appreciate any and all advice. Thanks so much.