Congrats on the new house and yard. I hope you and hubby have many happy and healthful years there. I would recommend you start collecting pics of the plants and shapes you like, but hold off on doing anything until you see what kind of sun you are going to get. I bought my place in early February of last year and there were areas that I thought would be light shade that turned out to be total shade once all the leaves were on the trees. That will be especially important for that wooded area you are talking about. You may also find that some of the "natural" area has already been planted by God. I had a sunny slope that I was going to clear off and before I could get to it I discovered that God had already planted it with coreopsis, bee balm and queen anne's lace. Even when my "planted" areas were struggling with drought that slope stayed flush with color all summer. I am rethinking clearing that slope now :o)

I second the congratulations and good wishes.

I would agree with Coorscat; wait for a year or at least until fall and see what is already there as far as plants go and where the sun is or isn't as the year goes by. Of course, if by a "new house" you mean a newly built one, then there is probably little to be found naturally growing in the construction area, and you may and should do what you like! And fencing the perimeter is a priority for you and your dogs - I would suggest you make a small enclosure where the dogs can make all the mess they want, if you have to be away for a day, so they won't destroy plantings - these dogs may be well-behaved in the garden, but I imagine you will have more over the years, including rambunctious and destructive puppies!

Putting in the hardscape can be done, and probably should be done, before you begin to do a lot of planting, but again, waiting to see just where the sun will be strongest in the heat of the summer will let you place arbors, gazebos or pergolas where they will be the most enjoyable, and let you make paths that won't aim you right into the afternoon sun come the middle of July, and let you build decks, terraces and patios at leisure, without disturbing plants! If you want to have beds around the house, then doing that should allow you to indulge your green thumbs, without deciding a couple of years down the road that you REALLY wish you had put this there, or that in the other place. Of course, if there are things you REALLY can't stand, then by all means, take it/them OUT!!!

You can be drawing, and re-drawing, and re-re-drawing plans for what should go where, planning for water and lighting placement, and amending the soil while you wait. Start now by collecting photos (as Coorscat suggests), looking in books for designs you like, and generally getting a feel for what will suit both you and your property - formal, semi-formal, cottage, etc.. Get your soil tested, so you know whether you can grow acid lovers or not. Drive around the area, see what plants and what families seem to do well in your area, and which ones you don't see at all. Talk to the county extension office, and get a list of their recommended plantings - see which ones appeal to you and your spouse. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how quickly your garden does come together if you exercise patience and wait until the fall.

If you want a vegetable garden, then you should wait see where the sun will be the most constant - most veggies need all day sun to do well, with some exceptions. If you do want your veggie garden NOW, then by putting it in the middle of the lawn, whether temporarily or permanently, you will probably have enough sun to make a beginning.

I love your idea of creating a room in the woodsy area and I'm sure you'll find a lot of photos to give you ideas.
Have you identified what trees are in the woods? I ask because the best prepared plans can be ruined by one darn black walnut tree. Hope you don't have any of those because the roots,even after the tree is cut down, contain juglone that few landscaping plants can survive.

Unless you were there from the onset of construction, I agree with the others posters. Do the fencing and wait/observe sun/drainage and prevailing wind patterns before choosing landscape materials. If you wait until fall, you'll have a better idea of what trees you have out there, which drop the most leaves and sticks and which need to go.

If you're going to have a fenced in yard with dogs (so no worries with deer), I'd try native azaleas. Cumberland azalea (red-orange flowers mid-summer), Pinxterflower (pink, spring), and Alabama azalea (white, spring, very fragrant) do well in dry conditions. I don't know where you live in NC, but my favorite nursery is Niche Gardens in Chapel Hill. They have a beautiful display garden that can give you ideas and they have a wonderful selection of plants. (I don't work for them or have any affiliation with them, I just love them!)

Checkout Plant Delights in Raleigh also for plants.

And, next spring check out the smaller local farmer's markets. Many vendors have perennial plants and shrubs that they have propagated locally at reasonable prices and you'll know that those plants will grow where you are. When you shop at big box stores hardly any of them were grown nearby. For annual flowers that's OK since it doesn't make a difference.

Most gardener's will give you more advice than you can use but are a wealth of knowledge from which to pick and choose. And, free for the asking. Be a guest at local gardeners' clubs. You may not want to join but you could make some lovely friends with gardening know-how. They might also point you towards good deals on hardscape materials, mulch, or helpers, etc.

Take a garden hose or some way to mark paths where you think you might want them. From inside the house look out at them. Where does your eye lead you?

Nancy the nancedar