I hadn't heard of bocce ball until I moved away from home. Have you heard of it?

It is fun game but I would not design my outdoor area for it unless you play it all the time. As for your space I am finding it hard to get a feel for ow it relates to your home so maybe some pics of the house with deck to give me a better idea.

It looks like it is quite a distance from the house. So I'd start by getting some inexpensive, comfortable chairs and placing them somewhere. Then figure out if you ever use them. Most people won't, so making a big investment isn't really worth it.

Major hardscaping, leveling, paving, etc. near the trees is going to damage the trees. So keep that in mind.

Yes, the area is about 50 feet from my back deck. However, I am looking to make more use of my backyard. I am on an acre of land. Here is a picture of my backyard from the area I would like to renovate, facing the back of my house. The fence is behind me.

Here is a picture of the front of my house to give you an idea of our style.

Here are some ideas:

Here are some ideas:

Hardscaping pretty much has to have a purpose. You already have a back deck and a pool which one hopes is well integrated with the house for dining and entertaining. Only you can say what is "something more grown up and entertaining/relaxing' that would require additional hardscape to what you currently have. Tennis court?

In some circles "something more grown up and entertaining/relaxing" would be a nice evening stroll through a beautiful garden on a mighty fine hardscaped walkway before and after a gourmet candle light supper on the deck by the pool. Walking is something more grownups should do.

Thank you Chris and Doug. Your good ideas and comments are helpful.

I think I would enlarge and join up those 2 deck areas into one huge space to strat How do you even cook on the BBQ I love decks much more than patios and in your cae it would work then maybe a step or two down onto a fire pit area with some nice Muskoka chairs in bright colors . I find a firepit is always a draw once the fire is going .

Thank you Patricia. I like firepits also and think it is a good area to get people together.

Thanks Littlebug. I want to prune back some trees, not lose them. What detrimental affect will adding dirt and hardscape due to the trees? If needed, I will use permeable pavers or stone so as not to damage the surrounding landscape..

Trees typically cannot endure a dirt grade change, neither plus nor minus. Laying stone or pavers over roots also must be done with caution.

Damage to the roots - repeated driving over them by heavy machinery and/or the addition or subtraction of any material including dirt - can kill the trees. Heavy pruning can too.

An arborist can give you advice on the vulnerability of your trees.