Put a fence between the play & pet side of the yard and the gardening side.

I couldn't quite tell what directions your sun exposure goes in, in the yard as a whole. Is your yard all one rectangle? Sorry if that is a dumb question.

I think having more raised beds would look nice. Especially if you can swing having them all be cedar plank-sided or some such. And you'd have more flexibility that way, than with a rock wall. I am (well obviously) not very foofy about yards - I like nothing better than a kitchen garden (since they remind me of food!) I find them beautiful as-is.

Now, with dogs ... can one really keep a dog out of dirt? This I cannot say. As for the kids, some of my fondest memories involve playing in the dirt. I think your yard looks like kid paradise. I would put some nice comfy chairs under the tree and enjoy. Or a hammock!!

Is this house new to you? If so, I'd spend the first season seeing how everything grows, what the sun exposure and light is like, how your kids use it, etc. I tend to make outdoor placement decisions after I see how things flow for a while. I like the arrangement of the gardens they've created, and if it worked well for me I'd be apt to continue the pattern. :) fwiw, I think the chicken wire would look much nicer if you framed the top and then attached the top of the chicken wire to the frame. It would make it taut and probably much safer.

Thank you to everyone who commented! We have lived in the house for four years so far. The previous owners really did pick the ideal location for the beds. The wood is disintegrating, the chicken wire is an eye sore, and I'm just looking for a more permanent solution. Here are a few ideas I was thinking for the garden area and the kids area. What do you all think?

Kindergarten Courtyard · More Info

Barton Hills Family & Entertaining Space · More Info

Raised Wooden Planter Beds · More Info

Drought Tolerant Gardens · More Info

Personally, I find it important to fence any areas I want to keep my dog out of, especially the vegetable garden. I use quite a low fence that my dog absolutely can get over (she's about 70lbs and could easily jump anything but a 6ft fence if she put her mind to it) but it is enough to be a deterrent to let her know that she's not supposed to be in there. If you want to keep using the vegetable garden space, I would make a walk way around all sides of the boxes for access. And then I would put a nice fence around it with a gate for access.

Essentially creating a garden space kind of like this where it's fenced off, but once inside you can fully access the raised beds to care for them.

You could use something quite low if it's sufficient to keep kids and dogs out.

I have something about the height of the last fence and I don't have a gate. But it's a bit annoying to climb over it each time I need to get in and out of the garden.

Have you looked at stock tanks as raised beds?

Thank you all! Yes, I have thought about just putting a fence around the area and/or using stock tanks. As you can see there are so many options I'm a little overwhelmed finding the most aesthetically pleasing route. If I can avoid a fence I would love that which made me look into something higher off the ground altogether (stock tank, retaining wall, etc.) For reference, here is a sketch of my backyard. There is full sun on the left and middle portions of the yard with the right side (kid side) being shady all day until the evening. I have thought about putting more beds along the left fence line since it gets so much sun. My garden is South-facing by the way. Thoughts?

I was wondering, does it get very hot where you live? What about putting in more trees for shade? (Apologies if this isn't relevant - I am a non-heatlover.)

I too struggle with space planning. The nice thing about trees is they add dimension and interest and then you can plan around them. What sort of tree is that? (the live one)

What are your typical daily schedules like? do you like to garden more in the morning, and then maybe enjoy the patio for a nice tea in the afternoon? maybe a tree over there, to filter just the late sun?

I must say, I like your yard - it looks like you have good soil and your grass looks good too. That is a lovely swingset. (When I get a chance, I still use swings in the park sometimes ... though, I do wonder about the weight limits... eeesh)

The live tree with its pods looks like it will be a clean up problem. I would remove it to increase the sunny area and install more planting beds, of whatever type you decide. I've had success with wicking tubs. Check out "Gardening with Leon" on You Tube. Clever old gent that grows commercially with them.