These are the areas that I need to work on and I would appreciate any suggestions or criticisms that you could make:

1) A small pine (Japanese black? - they have paired, long needles) died and our helpful gardener replaced it with a Kwanzan cherry someone had asked him to haul to the dump. I didn't think it would survive since I have never seen one in Southern California, but it turned out to be a lusty grower and prolific bloomer. Unfortunately, it's planted too close to the house and it just doesn't look right mingled in with the pines and sago palms. This year I managed to kill a J maple with inadequate water, so I'm thinking that the cherry could be moved to replace the maple. The flowers would be visible from the house and there is a nice bench and some rocks in the area, so that it could be enjoyed in bloom, but its awkward shape would be less obvious. I think that I should replant a pine and try my hand at the wires and tying.

2) The pines have not been pruned for two years. I just bought the book "Niwaki" by Hobson and cleaned up a little juniper. Advice would be welcome.

3) There is an overgrown New Zealand tea plant pruned in the "karikomi" style (aka "a lump", but it's leggy and too large. Can I cut it back hard, or should I replace it?

4) There were long tables for bonsai along the fence, but I had those removed, so now I have a big area of plain gravel and plain fence. I've planted a small "Haku Botan" pomegranate, but it's forlorn looking and needs a little bed around it. I'd kind of like a little granite basin or something, but otherwise I'm clueless about design in this area of half day sun. Also the area under the pine is pretty bald. Would one of the clumping grasses work there?

5) The delicate ferns at the front (north side) of the house get toasted every summer and barely recover before the next summer. I don't want to give them more water, I'd prefer to replace them. Western sword fern is probably a little too coarse, so I'd love some other suggestions.

6) There are multiple prostrate juniper, should these be left shaggy or pruned into smoother shapes?

7) Last winter's freeze killed off the poinsettias and plumerias, but there are still a couple of hybrid tea roses that I'm going to shovel prune as well as a couple of volunteer fan palms.

Any other comments would be welcomed.

Guess I will just write my first thoughts as I studied your pictures. It is very difficult to advise you without seeing the complete garden. I have a hunch that the original owner was often removing plants and rocks from his garden into those of customers and replacing them as the design does not seem to 'hang together'. This is quite common in the world of designers. Much of the garden pictured looks dry and in need of fertilizer.

Frankly, you need to find and consult with a good Japanese garden designer. You have some excellent 'bones' to work with which to work. Now what you need is the practiced hand to give you the confidence to prune, plant and restore the garden. Sorry not to be more helpful. And, yes, you certainly can move the Kwanzan cherry to another location.