I would clear the whole area, including the steps, and put in a large in ground bed with a swooping curved border. At present it lacks cohesion and adding boxes would make it more so imo. You could grow vegetables there with ornamentals. I can't identify the plants you want to keep but one is a coniferous tree which, in its current position, will grow rapidly to shade the whole garden. I'd move it now while it's still small. If you leave it it will soon not be possible to grow much around it. Knowing the measurements and orientation would be useful.

That’s actually not a bad idea…. The other other plant is a fern. It would be hard to dig up but possible. There’s a bunch of stuff in there but all of it can be relocated. The yard is a pretty blank slate at the moment. The direction we are looking in the photo is WSW and the garden gets light pretty well the entire day.

Can now update this post with finished area

What an improvement!

Thanks we are loving the garden! Hard work was worth it!