4. Surround sitting areas with plants.

Sure, you want to be friendly with the neighbors, but who really wants to relax on the lone bench that sits beneath the tree? By using plants, you can still survey your domain without feeling as if you're on display. Set back 10 feet from the walk and staged on an 8-foot-diameter flagstone landing, our Adirondack chairs are nestled in a sea of hostas relocated from the backyard and a collection of Halo Series hydrangeas. Why you'll be glad you did: You'll actually use the space.

photo: Contractor Joey Bischoff of Bischoff Landscape in Hanceville, Alabama, graded the sitting area prior to installing the flagstone so that it would be level.