Hi Melina, Do you have use of the garage? That might come in handy for organization. It sounds like a lot of this is frustration with not really having places to put things.

If the garage has room, maybe the garbage cans can live in there? Or perhaps you can create parking spaces for some of the bikes just inside the garage door? (Literally paint little lines for spaces. It's a good way to be organized and really fun for the kids.)

Is there an area on one side of the driveway that you can maybe put bricks down to make a pad for the BBQ's?

As a Montessori teacher, I mostly see what a wonderful play area it is for your children to enjoy their bikes! But, yes, I know what you mean about the rest...are you someplace where your children could go with you to collect rocks? They could make a rock garden on top of the dirt. Plants in pots could be added as you got around to it. You could also use gravel on the dirt ...or decorative pebbles, if you wanted to spend the money, but make sure they aren't covered with anything hazardous as some are.

Paint the concrete squares different colors? Or let your kids decorate it with sidewalk chalk.

Best of luck!

Like your house color! A good cleaning of the area is the first place to start. Repaint the garage door and other door.

I would set up hubby's grill under the window next to the AC unit. Pick up a furniture piece from thrift store, consignment store, etc to set next to grill for placing food to cook on, drinks, etc.

Look for a large outdoor rug for under your table (sales should be soon!), add a shallow round planter to the table top holding some greenery.

I would look for large ceramic planters for that corner between the new grill area and that door: bright colors and different sizes would really pop with your paint color. These aren't cheap, but this is the sort of thing I put on my birthday, mother's day and Christmas list. I tell my husband that I would really like one big thing that I really want rather than a lot of small things! And what a relief that he knows what to buy!

When filling those planters remember the holy trio: one plant to spill, one to fill and one to trill.

I think your husbands surf boards would make great yard art. Get some stands and display upright around the yard, in planter beds. You could even use one horizontally to work with the grill, as the piece to hold meat to be cooked, a few drinks to serve, or set up as a bar area.

Can your garbage cans be stored inside the garage? That would certainly help your look!

Great screening from eye sores: long narrow planters with fast growing bamboo. For instant relief while that grows: build a frame to hold panels of shade cloth. This will allow for airflow, but cuts the view down and also heat.

For little ones: an area topped with a "sunsail" available online in bright colors for a sand box and their pool.

I see a whole lot of potential here. Clean, paint, hide, rearrange, plant and have fun!

Please explain what the outdoor spaces are. Do you have only the driveway? Or do you have a separate patio, too, perhaps as part of a fenced yard?

Are the surfboards left on the outdoor table the main problem? Do you have room to mount some wide bicycle hooks/holders on a wall that would be more convenient for your husband? Things get dumped where it is easiest to do so.

If the new grill is supposed to replace the old one, just get rid of the old one by calling your trash pickup. If the old one is still usable, put a "free" sign on it and put it out by the street. I agree that putting the grill off to one side of the driveway on its own (new) bricks would get it out of the way and in its own space.

Marking "parking places" for the bikes and trikes would help kids keep them in place.

If your budget is $50 and one Saturday morning, I'd go for the new bricks and a roll of duct tape to mark the "parking places".

i would call the city and find out who is responsible for the abandoned property and if anything can be done about it before it falls apart? before unwanted guests move in?
before your kids are too curious?

I would start with designated parking for bikes and cozy coupes. If you have a fence or wall space large enough, get some inexpensive ladder hooks, spray paint them in rainbow colors or coordinating with the house colors, and get those boards up and off the table (vertical? horizontal? Either way, they become wall art.) Is that a carpet under the table? It looks kind of ratty, if so, pitch it. I've found, with our year-round climate, no carpet survives very long! It also seems to be anchoring the table in an awkward place. Is that a cement wall behind the table? If this is your house, that wall could use a coat of paint or plants to help disguise it's plainness. Or how about lattice? Maybe with strings of inexpensive twinkle lights to make the space magic. No matter how much entertaining you do, two grills are overkill and the spare is taking up too much space. You could pitch it or repurpose it; clean it up, give it a racy red paint job and turn it into a child's play grill that could double as storage (remove the gas burners, etc.) That garage door looks a bit shabby; a coat of something glossy would have it looking fab in no time. If those plants are in pots, try shifting them around to cover bare patches, or even better, create small islands that the children can bicycle around. I am all about potted plants; you can move them as you like and if you scout thrift stores you'll find so many containers that could be repainted and repurposed on the cheap. (Think large kettles, wastebaskets. All it takes is a few holes punched in the bottom for drainage!) You can purchase a low lattice L-shaped screen to hide the trash cans and to hide the a/c unit as well. I'd move the cans away from the play area though. Those bare patches of dirt can be easily hidden with mulch and a few child-friendly plantings, either with something big and showy (pampas?) or something small and friendly (strawberries?). I like the shredded type, but you'd have to figure what works best with your little ones. Mulch just makes the area look cleaner and cuts down on dust. Add in a toy broom or two, so the little ones can help with clean up. I like the idea of colors; this is a multi purpose space but imagine it with color pops everywhere; great for the children and makes mom and dad happy too.

That small area of bare dirt next to AC could be a sweet garden area for the kids. Buy a strawberry pot (and plant with berries), and into the ground plant some radishes, etc. Get the kids a couple of small watering cans, child size trowels, etc. and make it their project. Might get them to eat their veggies!

thank you for all the positive ideas and including my kids in the progress and plans.

to answer a few questions... yes.. we have contacted the city about the house next door and they are all over it and are being so helpful! it just takes time.

yes... we can put the cars (and board) in the garage. i just wanted to show what it truly looks like. :) the parking lot ideas are adorable! my kids would love that.

the main problems are the long length and i would like a way to separate the space. any ideas?

the plants are all in the ground so i like the idea of rocks or some creative ways to add some potted plants. and i'm all about color. any more ideas on what to put in potted plants would be so helpful. i'm a newbie to all of this.

i agree that some new carpets and pillows would really help. ross and thrift stores are some great suggestions.

two grills... i know. this is a new development. i'm all about repurposing and reusing. we have family over a lot for dinner and eating outside is so fun for all the cousins and kids. so places to eat and that are kid friendly are great.

and now... my biggest eye sore... the trash cans! that's really the only place to put them. help!

thanks so much! all it takes is new some eyes. i really appreciate it. (:

Looks like garage isn't connected to house. Is there room down that small walk way between the two to put the garbage cans? If not, could that small area be made into a nice nook, play space for the children? Kids like cozy spots. Could a multilevel fort go in there? Sand box area?

it actually is a narrow walkway to a playground area for our kids! that's where their swings, tree house, slide, etc... are. we also have a small patio back there. it's nice. we sit and drink coffee while they play. we use the front area to eat, bbq, and ride bikes. it's a nice space. just kind of funky. our house was added on to by previous owners. so we have a long house!

Oh, good! I had the idea that was your only play space!

Stow the garbage cans in the garage. I have a suggestion for the second pic. If the house next door is abandoned why not use a bamboo mat as a divider. They are really cheap. Paint two 2x4's. Set them into the ground with a little cement. Cement was 4/$9 last week in WI :) Attach the mats to the 2x4's, staple or nail. You could also put a couple dowels into the 2x4's to hold the surf boards... adding to the So. Cal. look. Solution for $10. Push the grills together against a wall.. It looks like your walls are stone. No fire risk. Paint the walk. Trim the greenery... add some flowered plants, hibiscus. Amazon.com has some really great solar string lights. They make everything look pretty at night.

solar string lights are a great idea! and so is the bamboo. i'll look into hibiscus. thanks!

oh... the garage door doesn't open. and the door is too narrow to put the cans in. super bummer.

I have the same problem! If you are slick at building...make a "shed" blind. 3-2x4's on the bottom.. cut to size. A rectangle with one side open. Extend a 2x4 on each corner upward and at the open ends. Connect the upward 2x4's with horizontal 2x4's. It will look kind of like this [ Use the mats again for the outsides. Use a matching bamboo blind.. outdoor kind in front. Also, for cheap fixes we go to Ikea a lot. Even if you don't buy their stuff there are a TON of CHEAP ideas! Especially, this time of the year. If you want to use fabric, check out Fabric.com, Amazon.com too. I have had problems with my yard too.. my dog tears up any grass and there are toys...bikes....scooters EVERYWHERE. We have bought rubbermaid buckets for the toys, just drill holes on the bottom in case it rains. It has been SO hot nothing grows.

You have gotten some great ideas. But first I would divide your backyard into zones...BBQ and food prep; cement play area; toy storage; eating with shade?, lounging and reading; gardens; conversational seating, etc. this will help organize your space. Guys like to hang out at the BBQ so make sure there is enough room around it or them.. and the so children are not near it when in their play area zone. But have it is easily accessed from house and seen from eating table. Don't want it where toddler could be touching it, and no one can see them. Don't have a problem with trash can location either buy or build bin shed/container to put cans neatly out of sight as kristi suggests.. If budget too limited, paint cans vivid colors and make them a statement of garden art...ensure can tops are secured shut. It garage door does not work use that space creatively...children's art, food prep with wall shelving, etc.

Sorry, thought you were showing just one space, but seems your eating is separate. My question is, why not encorporate BBQ into backyard and not front driveway? Front of home should have curb appeal with little clutter. Make spaces for toys and bikes as suggested. Plant large or bushy shrubs on street side, to hide garbage cans. Buld or buy bench to sit on while watching kids play. Everything else should be in back yard for entertaining, cooking and eating.

it is one space. and it's closed off by a giant gate so luckily our neighbors don't have to see what's going on! lol. i like the idea of areas. any suggestions on what should go where? or how to zone it? i'm definitely going to cover the trash cans. i've gotten such great ideas on how to. i like keeping the table under the patio because it's shaded. i'm also loving all the ideas on adding more color. our house is green. the former owner did a great job and picked a really nice shade. we do need to repaint the garage doors though. should i do white again or try something new? thoughts?

One idea for the garbage cans, will be slightly more walking, but how about putting them down where the grill is shown now. Of course, as close to fence as possible, hidden behind screen or bamboo planter.

That way the view from the window could be made to showcase something much nicer. A flower garden, trellis for climbers, a play spot for the kids?

Also, another poster made a good point about separating grill area from kids. If you place grill under window, set up a "buffet" directly out from the door to act as a barrier. You could even stain concrete (concrete stain is easy, great for softening the look!) a different color and label it "no crossing"!

stained concrete!?! cool! i will look into that. and thank you everyone for considering the safety of the kids. :)

Yes, my husband and I stained our own huge driveway in less than a day. We ended up mixing two stains to get the color we wanted. Our drive is on the southwest side, and we live in a very hot area. It really cut down on glare and softened the whole look.

great idea! next on the "honey do" list!

One other money saver. Flowers bring color and life to a yard. I am cheap, flowers are expensive. Buy them wholesale. Some are $20 or less per hundred. Try: www.netherlandbulb.com, breckswholesale.com.
Bulbs are great! Very little to NO care. Dig a hole, drop them in, cover them up. Water and wait. Lillies bloom a long time and smell great! Allium are cheap and are eyecatchers. Creeping Thyme looks great in the lawn. Succulents might be good in your climate. Sedum comes in a ton of varieties, flowered-Purple Emperor or Frosty Morn or no flowers- Blue Carpet. You cannot kill them! I have thrown some in the lawn for a week. They have not died. You can cut the leaves or stalks off and plant them. One plant can turn into 100.

I'm with Kristi Dodson , nothing more refreshing than Flowers , my favourites are Marigold Flowers .

thanks! i checked out the websites. such a great and affordable solution. do you know where i can order succulents? we have some and i love the look. very popular in southern california right now with water saving and the weather here.

For holding succulents look up "living walls". These are creations for attaching to walls, fences, between posts (hide abandoned house?) that are a series of pockets that you plant in.

The places that I order from are:
Michiganbulb.com
They have beautiful plants. Including Sedum, a very popular succulant. Look at the Mixed Ice Plants.. They may be a low water color option. There are also Hostas. There is a set, Hosta Superbag mix, 9 plants for $19. Watch out though some Hostas don't tolerate sun or hot weather. I needed something to cover an electric box in my front yard I bought Elephant Ears. They were on sale near the pharmacy, $2 a bulb.

Gurney.com
They are the old stand by and have everything.

Gilbert H. Wild and Son, gilbertwild.com
I buy anchor pieces there.. they can get expensive.

van Bourgondien, duchbulbs.com

Jung Seeds and Plants, jungseed.com
Look at the Coral Sunset Peony. They are BEAUTIFUL.

Brecks, brecks.com
Another standby.

van Engelen Wholesale Dutch Flower Bulbs, http://www.vanengelen.com

Dutch Mills, Dutchmills.com

Amazon.com
Seriously... I have bought a lot of plants from them.

http://www.vermontwildflowerfarm.com/flore-pleno.html

http://www.colorblends.com/tulips/

It takes time to look thru all of the websites. It is not a one nite job. Like them on FB, get on their mailing lists. You get coupons. Order their catalogues. That makes it a ton easier!
This is a REALLY great time to put plants in! There are a TON of sales!!!
Specifically for succulents I would start at Gurney's and Michigan Bulbs.
I would check out English Lavender or Russian Sage too. They smell wonderful!! They bloom for months and don't require a lot of care or water. It didn't rain in WI for a month and a half and my Russian Sage grew like mad. If you take the blooms off you can put them in sache's or sprinkle them over the carpet... have the kids run over it a few times before you vaccume. Great cut too! Rosemary, the herb is a great smelling plant for the house or yard...great on chicken!
Hope theses helped!!

thank you so much kristi! you have helped so much. this is going to be fun to research while enjoying my coffee this morning. i really appreciate your help.

use these to break up the mass of concrete. You can give each child a sq. ft. garden of their own and have a green thumb training camp. http://www.plowhearth.com/product.asp?utm_source=bingshopping&utm_medium=comparisonshopping&utm_campaign=default&r=bingfeed&pcode=12592 Do add a plastic pan under to avoid unsightly run off. You just use poly sheeting between the garden and the drive and staple it around the base, then tack quarter round on the bottom edge and cut off the excess poly.

that's such a cute idea! the kids would love that and it would be a nice way to add some green (while teaching my kids) to that area. thanks!