I'd personally pull out the little well thing. It makes me think of dressed-up lawn geese and gnomes. If you have the room and the code ok, plant a tree. A large shade tree would be great near the new deck and would help add some vertical height.

Hi frizzwizz, your home sounds lovely. Are you able to snap and share some photographs so we can best advise on the landscape outside?

try going to Hamilton Parker on Lenard ave. off 670 it is in downtown area and will give you great ideas.

It sounds like you've been through quite the rollercoaster with your building project! That's really frustrating to hear, especially when you had a vision that you were attached to. Construction dilemmas can be a lot to handle, and I can only imagine how the stress might have piled up over time. If you're feeling stressed (and who wouldn't be in a situation like this?), you might want to consider working off some of that tension. Since you're into home design and creating beautiful spaces, you might appreciate the aesthetic and functionality at Hitsona's fitness studio. Sometimes a little self-care and a change of scenery can inspire new ideas for other areas in life, including home design.