To be clear, when you come out our back door, that stone wall with the vines is directly on your left. Then there's this open paved area. There's a fence that goes around the border.

To be clear, when you come out our back door, that stone wall with the vines is directly on your left. Then there's this open paved area. There's a fence that goes around the border.

And maybe this pic helps

Does anyone have any ideas? I'd. Really appreciate it!!

I'm not a landscape architect, only a homeowner who likes gardening, but I completely agree that your yard would be much prettier if you ripped out most or all of the paving, leaving (or creating) only a path for the car to park. You could create a pretty little lawn in the center surrounded by curved flower beds on three sides planted with shrubs, perennials, and a few small ornamental trees in the back. That would allow you to put out chairs or a table in the middle and be surrounded by a little garden. If you have kids or dogs, however, you might want to design it with more lawn and fewer flowerbeds.

Do u have kids? Because kids like some hardscape to play on with scooters or basketball. There should be a patio for outdoor sitting and a hedge to screen from the neighbors. A flowering tree is always nice and you should think about little raised gardens if u want vegetables.

Leave a parking pad for the car but maybe break up the driveway itself with a grass or ground cover strip down the middle. In the right hand corner plant a flowering tree, over near the car park maybe a clump river birch for texture. Then a few tall evergreens along the fence. Just don't line everything up too much, curves are more natural and pleasing. What you put in the bed , flowers, shrubs, mulch and rocks, depends on how much maintenance you want to do.