Thank you, Sigrid.

It's "how to do the shade planting + paths of that back SLOPED area" that I'm at a loss for.

The other parts of the yard — you are correct — are pretty well planned. JUST need a little expert help in slope/paths/stonework. Seeking recos.

sorry dont have MD landscaper recommendations. asking on nextdoor or similar local site might be better.

did you make this plan yourself or had someone make it for you? typically plantings look better in odd numbers 3,5,7. you have a lot of twos and lone singles.

Wow, we have identical issues! Same area, same sized yard, same mudpit in the southeastern corner of the yard, and I'm on here because I'm also super geared up for spring gardening. We did an addition/reno last year that destroyed our yard so we desperately need new landscaping.

One thing to be aware of - the landscaping world near DC is as crazy as the contractor world. The firm recommended by our architect (which also gets a lot of love on NextDoor) was booking four months out last fall. I did pay for a plan by one of the big local nurseries which was fine but their install cost for new sod and shrubs with no hardscaping and an early bird discount was $35k. So we're going to have our lawn guys resod and try to improve the grade, and then I'll DIY some hedging and perennials.

On the muddy corner, I've had 2 bits of advice over the years after ours emerged courtesy of a teardown/new build next door. To move the water out to the street would require pumping it to the front yard in our case - way more $$ and effort than it's worth. The other alternative is to have a dry well installed - basically a big gravel pit to absorb the water - and plant a rain garden. The nursery plan in our case called for a big sweetbay magnolia in that spot (I have a small one there which has done very well.) You may be able to have the dry well proximate to the flagstone you want to install.

One other thing - read up on swales which have also been recommended as a way to redirect the drainage. Good luck and look forward to seeing what you do!

IMO the best way to handle a mud pit is a pond or marsh type plantings .I much prefer decks to patios but you need some real pro help to get a plan in place to work towards and I think a landscpe architect could be a huge help for the plan. yes they cost money but honestly cheaper than doing something that does not work. I have often found the local plant nursery has some good knowledge and also connection to the person you need to help.IMO you buy nothing until the plan is in place .

I'd venture to say that a masonry sitting area on wet ground could become problematic over time. I'm not sure of your temps in MD but freezing + thawing = heaving. Wetness will exacerbate that. The proper installation of pavers requires a good bit of prep - digging deeper than you think, installing drainage material, compacting, then stone dust, compacting, etc. The roots of that large tree will likely be a problem and the tree could suffer if it's severely hacked.

It's really tough to ascertain the slope or degree of moisture without being there, and generally, the degree of wetness changes with the seasons. Of course any plan will have to meet the elevation at the fences. It doesn't look like there's a lot of space to swale or berm. You need someone who really, really knows what they're doing if you want to address the drainage and elevation. There are a lot of well meaning contractors who will have varying degrees of expertise and mangling those trees roots could be trouble. If you want to pursue it, do that area first, as equipment like a bobcat needs access and will compact all surrounding soil.

Personally, I would plant that wet shade slope area with lovely shrubs and perennials. Here's where a full service garden center with knowledgeable staff can help you compose a nice design. A backdrop of site appropriate shrubs (summersweet/clethra alnifolia?) and just three or so varieties of pretty shade plants will fill that area. There are some striking perennials for wet shade with features like tall floral spires, enormous leaves, or delicate foliage. It's a good opportunity to embrace a challenge.

As someone else noted, large drifts of the same plant have a more cohesive appearance in groups of 3, 5 or more.

GREAT suggestions! Thank you very much. Yep. I’m all about the ‘odd number’ plantings. Sorry — my “sketch” is a ROUGH sketch not literal. So the purple near garden is a beautiful FULL area of different shade purple iris… but I just put “4” to ‘represent.’

@SMALL OLD HOUSE — wowzers, $35K. But yes to tapping the pros. Just may have to stick with getting a ‘plan.’ Then rolling up my sleeves. :) Great suggestions for the slope!

@PATRICIA — “buy nothing til plan in place.” SOUND advice. Thank you!

@TBL — good suggestion about the digging down deep and layering for drainage. And you’re right about protecting the roots of those two beautiful oak trees. Mother nature makes roots a BEAST to cut because she doesn’t WANT us to. :)