Hi, congrats on your new home. What do you want to use the yard for? Do you have kids or pets? Do you entertain? What zone are you in?

Thanks!! I'm in Zone 7B. No kids, two indoor cats. Definitely looking forward to entertaining outdoors. Was thinking to start focusing on lawn, fruit trees in the back 3/4 of the yard. Left side Thuja emerald evergreen trees for privacy and to hide the next door neighbors hideous privacy fence that's in disrepair.

Nice - and congrats! How about planning your hardscape first: maybe before you plant, extend your patio, (replace concrete slab with flagstone) to make it wide enough to accommodate a grill, table, chairs, etc. Plan for a 3 foot deep bed at the foundation of the house and soften the edges with shrubs. Lilac, hydrangea, etc, and perhaps rhododendron, boxwood as evergreen.

A mixed evergreen hedge where you need privacy (not all arborvitae, you will get tired of it eventually!) and make sure you work in a deep border - 4-5' deep along the fenceline for perennials, mixing heights and repeating 4-5 plants. bhg . com actually has some great ideas on their site for perennial borders if you look there. Good luck and have fun making this a special place !

You could sod or just use grass seed. Plant your trees in natural looking groups--not in straight lines along the back of the fence--that will look very unprofessional. Keep it simple unless you just love yard work. Don't mulch above the ground level around the trunks of the trees--you see this alot but it will eventually kill the trees. Trees know where the ground should be around their trunks.

This back yard has been seeded with a blow on type seed/ fertilizer substance from the builder. Should be interesting how well it catches over this fall. I'll gently fertilize and watch and see. Good idea for the natural groups vs straight lines

Be sure to plant your bushes and shrubs 3 ft. or so from your foundation, fence and driveway. Consider the size at maturity and the time it takes for your plants to reach maturity. The roots of large shrubs, bushes and trees can grow under your foundation, patio and driveway and cause damage that can lead to concrete cracking and heaving up. We are dealing with the problems that over overmature plantings have caused in the home we bought this summer and are working on a new landscaping plan ourselves. Lots of choices and decisions to make!

Congrats! I`m in the same boat as you. I plan to lay black plastic throughout the yard and lay a 4" layer of shredded bark (will buy in bulk for free delivery) to buy me time to plan and execute my landscaping projects. This is due to the cheap cost of the bark and plastic. The shredded bark forms into a tight mat almost like carpet and is very durable. Your yard seems much larger than mine so it may cost a little more. I`ll clear the bark off as I start to add things to my yard. I will use weed cloth around the tree trunks to keep weeds from growing but letting the water through. Planter boxes will consist of four sides nailed together and placed on the bark for under draining with potting mix and soil. You could place any excess bark in the planter boxes to cover the soil. Except for the planter boxes any weeds that grow can be pulled off the bark easily and without any soil. The bark idea is to keep weeds and mud from developing when winter sets in. I live in a rainy area during winter. I have no idea how this would work in a snow area. I`ve already tested this idea on the current house we are moving from and plan to repeat the process on the new one.

Congratulations on the new home! In addition to all the great advice, do check out the houzz ideabooks and save pics to your own ideabooks if you haven't already. You will then have pics to show anyone you contact professionally, or something to inspire you if you decide to do it all yourself. Please keep us posted on your progress!

So ! You want to entertain....but frankly how much entertaining do you plan to do? Every weekend, once a month....I suggest you don't just gear your beautiful space for 'other people' Do it for YOU. I think its a mistake people make when they dream of having 3 or more bedrooms and they only have one or two people living in their home....My take on your space is make it into a welcoming, nourishing, controlled enviroment. Get out a long hose and start delineating spaces. I have done this all over my property, and it gave me a better idea of what I was trying to imagine. You want to look far into the property at something interesting or beautiful, whether that is a group of trees, or bench that begs you to sit. You could grow a lot of food there. Raised beds set out in imaginative ways, with walkways leading to and around them. High bush Blueberries, Saskatoon berries, couple of fruit trees.
Lights placed in strategic places.
These raised beds could hold beautiful free-standing trellis's....
I don't know how old you are, but one never knows how much of a green thumb you might have, until you delve in to this sort of thing....Think of it as an ongoing project.....and please don't start with grass....Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will this be. A garden is a wonderful place to explore, and you have a great space to begin.....

Took another look at your space....Height and privacy is what I would concentrate on....Not sure how you can get someone to drop material in there...any access from the back? I've been wheelbarrowing for years....I bought a very flat space also, and had to have topsoil trucked in, and then I bought peat moss, vermiculite and well rotted manure. Got out many sheets of paper to design things....The earth cover is very necessary also....Didn't want to be plagued with tons of weeds....At the moment I'm moving all three of my original boxes to a more suitable place, design, and sun wise....You never get it on the first try, and besides...its loads of fun, creative, and muscle building. Here is another shot of my beds, and I'm not filling in the right side, with the beds I'm moving....and building that same walkway they sit in...I'm about to turn 64 and absolutely love the bull work......

When fruit trees grow beyond your reach the fruit rots and falls, sometimes it rots before it falls. So, there can be a lot of upkeep, if you chose trees that grow tall.

Congrats on your new home. People have given great advice.

Before you do any planting, you must make a sun map and see how the light hits every part of the day, keeping in mind that in winter, you will usually have much less light if the sun is hiding behind those large trees along the back fence. In terms of choosing plants, there is a huge difference between five hours of cool morning sun and five hours of blazing afternoon sun.

I would definitely not rush into anything, only to tear it all out as you realize you don't actually use the space the way you thought. And when planting a privacy hedge, be mindful that you have to keep it at a reasonable height so you don't take away light from your neighbor's house or your own.

I am NOT a gardener, but I love a great yard. Take a look at some of these plans from BH&G and see if you like any of the designs. After you choose one, go to a Zone 7B plant suggesting site and fill in with what works and what you like.
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/landscaping-projects/landscape-plans/landscape-ideas/#page=1

Here are a couple of shots of my side gardens. I wanted a stairway to lead me down to the pond.

iplay, it looks to me as if you ARE a gardener! Beautiful!

Yes, a secret gardener. :)

whoops. forgot to add my comment..it's Mforr's fault!! just some outdoor living ideas. Of course I agree with making a plan, etc. as suggested above.

Try to plant native when possible. They're easier to maintain and help the ecosystem. Excellent that you'll be planting fruit trees- it's wonderful to have some sort of sustainability. Best of luck!

I agree with others that you need a plan, a sun map or at least an idea of how sun moves thru the yard, what soil type you have and how it will drain and how it will affect the plants you choose. Concentrate on foundation items like walkways decks and major items like trees. I am renovating my yard and I focused first on the foundations like walkways, drainage because I have issues with that and creating different spaces for sitting, privacy, a utility area, a walkways, compost pile, a small garden area. I live in the desert but I do have a small lawn adjacent to the patio. It is small enough that I can mow it in under ten minutes with a push mower but it provides a lot of enjoyment for pets, kids, and adults. If you want to minimize upkeep and watering costs go with natives as someone else has suggested. If u are adding a patio consider a sun shade. They are easy on the budget, colorful and make a wonderful cover for a seating area. Good luck and have fun.

PS: you can find out about your soil by visiting the uSDA web soil survey site. It is a good idea to dig a few holes before u do this to better help you understand your soil. Notice how the "layers" of soil change with depth. This will affect your drainage and your choice of plants.

Also remember grass = mowing (or paying someone to mow). Definitely think how much of your time/money you want to spend as you plan how much of it to sod/seed!

In one photo (shot across back of house) it looks as though your neighbor's property is a higher elevation - or is that a shadow line? If they are higher in elevation be careful of any drainage issues. Also it looks as though it is very flat or no slope to your house foundation. You really need the soil to be higher around your house and not flat to avoid water issues in your foundation. House foundation should be at least 6 inches higher than the rest of the lawn. I suggest that you get a professional in to look at these drainage issues. If you have small drainage issues an experienced landscape Designer can handle it and might be cheaper than landscape architect.

Congratulations George on your new home. Firstly let me say ditch any idea of a lawn, think of all the hard work maintaining it. Think about having a sunken area for entertaining and having some raised beds to give the garden some character these are not hard to achieve, I am 62 years old and did this work myself in my own garden. Regarding the nasty boundary fence, not sure what the laws are in the US but I live in the UK and here the boundary on the left as you go out of your back door is your responsibility so maybe you would be able to replace that. Definitely have some sort of a water feature no matter how small you will have lots of enjoyment from the wildlife it will attract. Whatever you decide to do enjoy your garden to the full, it opens up a whole new world.

Ooh fun space! I see a bocce court ;-)

I meant to post this before--I found it on Houzz and I had to save it because I know i'll never be able to build it but I know someone can? :)

Can't seem to get back to your photo to double check but I'm not sure you do have a drainage problem unless there's a big difference in elevation between you and any neighbors.
This will be a big project to tackle by yourself. Agree with the planning ahead...you should incorporate the fruit trees into your landscaping unless you really want to play farmer and reserve a part of the property for aforementioned trees and raised planting beds which will require your sunniest location. I, myself, prefer a more creative use of plant material, perhaps with some winding paths and raised berms that can create various areas that let garden visitors discover the yard bit by bit. Sport areas like a shortened bocci or croquet court, badminton/tennis area or half basketball court could all be accommodated, depending on your level of interest. Or as mentioned before, a water feature or pond for koi. Some of these might carry a price tag you're not ready to commit to but dreaming big can be the first step to how you tackle your initial layout. Since we're already half way thru Sept, just planning the paths (not even putting them in if not in your budget yet) then getting trees and border shrubs planted so they can get a good root system started over the winter will be helpful. Then perhaps put in a bigger patio so you can enjoy the fall weather you have left.

I agree with all that you should absolutely either draw up a plan, or hire a pro for a plan. Regarding your neighbor's privacy fence; if it is indeed your neighbor's, then the fence was put up incorrectly. The cross-supporting (horizontal) wood should NOT be facing you, but be facing their yard! Please, please do yourself a favor and have property lines marked on that side; you may find that the fence is on your property - and if so, you could advise your neighbor to either remove it to their property, or you can (legally) tear it down!

How exciting! I did this myself and am showing before and after on Pinterest - Rajun's Garden. My top advice is to start planting as soon as possible. The sooner you get plants in the ground the sooner they mature. Especially if you want fruit trees. I planted a lemon tree 4 years ago and it is tall and the branches are starting to thicken, it's wonderful. If you're unsure of where the patio is going to go, start with the privacy trees. Pick something fast-growing. Also put the fruit trees in in the back. Do three - spaced evenly across the back, they will look great when they are grown. Also - consider how much time you want to spend on the yard. If you want simple, pick plants that don't need deadheading and don't drop lots of leaves or pods and also can thrive on the average waterfall for your zone. And skip grass, it is a water-guzzler. Create paths to get around using flagstone pieces and then plant groundcover or herbs to fill in to the borders. Start a page so we can follow your progress.

http://www.arborday.org/Shopping/Trees/PopularTrees.cfm?zone=7

Mouse maker, a moon gate, who wouldn't want one. Guess I'll have to go to Bermuda for that.

We bought a fixer upper here in Scottsdale, AZ a little over 3 years ago and the backyard was basically the same as yours except it had an old '70's pool that was in bad shape too. We love to entertain so we designed a backyard with a gazebo. Some call it a ramada. We use it nearly every day! We love to be out in the awesome Arizona weather with our kids and dogs. It has a wood burning fireplace, a gas grill w/ vent hood, kamado grill, refrigerator, kegerator, misting system, TV and a surround sound system that is in the gazebo and goes out into the yard with outdoor speakers. I would highly recommend an outdoor living space to entertain!

I bought a house with some large mature trees around a boring grass lawn (in Southern CA) a number of years ago. I wanted flowers and water-wise and native plants, with areas for enjoying being outdoors and entertaining. The best thing I did was to hire a landscape architect who sat down with me, looked at pictures i had saved from magazines, etc., interviewed me about my tastes, and then did a design for me that I could then implement myself (some I did myself, the rest I subcontracted). I had horrible clay soil, so put in raised beds for a large rose and vegetable garden, ripped out most of the grass, put in meandering decomposed granite pathways, mounded up good topsoil between them to plant with mostly perineals, installed a dry creek bed for an area with poor drainage that accumulated water off the roof, and installed a lovely pergola for a seating area for reading, entertaining, and just enjoying the garden. I would suggest doing something similar in your area.

How do you determine which is which zone?
Big consideration, too, is whether or not you enjoy yardwork. We have a large front yard and not so large in back, so mostly paved in back for entertaining, and in front went with a really high grade faux turf since my husband was traveling all the time when we moved in. ALWAYS looks great and saves on water out here in CA.

You received many great ideas here. Definitely find a landscaper to get a plan ready. They can help you a lot. You need to do your research and interview them because you are not going to like the first one you talk to (or maybe the first one is the best:)). Let them know what you want to use the yard for, how much maintenance you are ready for, a style of gardening (tropical, Mediterranean, wild, etc), and maybe a color scheme. A landscaper will be able to help with the plants as well. You mentioned that you want privacy and you are considering Thuja. Keep in mind that not all Thuja works in this zone. We had to change some of them too many times..Also, the location matters a lot (too much water, too much clay,,etc).

Faux turf .... artificial grass ... synthetic turf ... know matter what you label it, EasyTurf is your industry leader :)
There are definitely benefits to installing EasyTurf - the time and money saved on water alone is substantial - not to mention all the weeding, fertilizing, mowing and everything else you have to do to keep a nice green lawn. You'll also get rid of dirt and bugs ... check us out - and let me know if you have any questions. I'm happy to help.
Cheers!
George
http://www.houzz.com/projects/82915/Backyard-Installations

Most important! have a plan first, several of the other commentators have made this point- there's a reason for it. Once you have your plan, you can break it up & decide what you want & can afford first and what can wait till you have more time and/or money. Divide the plans into zones & finish one before starting another A general rule of thumb is grading first, then shade trees that take awhile to grow, then hardscaping (retaining walls, patios, paths, edging etc.) then smaller trees & shrubs, then flowerbeds. Good luck & don't be afraid to spread your projects out over several years once you have a plan.

I have to agree with Karen - given the framing on the fence, it is YOUR fence!

Your yard looks quite a bit like mine did when I moved in -- 30 years ago! Mine is south-facing, had (still has-only three times bigger now) a mature spruce in the centre of it. I worked hard over many years to downsize the amount of grass drastically and I 'worked' with the spruce rather than fighting it in my design plans. The first thing I did though, was to replace the fence. I found the size of my yard a little daunting at first but when I visualized it as distinct areas (like rooms) I soon began to see how I could design effectively and create functional walking and seating areas and nice views. A few things I'd suggest: deciduous trees on the south will always give you direct light and appreciable solar gain in the winters while coniferous to the north will shelter your home. Leave extra generous space between trees that will grow large and plan pathways and window-views accordingly, remembering too that many mature trees (spruce for example) will likely have big roots above or near the surface and in time will push up and may break nearby concrete paths as well as interfere with other plantings nearby. Another thing to consider is what your neighbours have in their yards and how their trees and other structures affect your yard and might affect later on. For me, 30 years later, between my own trees and my neighbour's I receive only small patches of sunlight that move with the sun and I receive no direct sun in early morning and evening. It's still a nice place to be, though my vegetable gardening consists only of tomatoes and herbs in moveable pots. Hope this helps.

You could always try asphalt paving: www.pavinu.com with a patio. Or get some landscaping to add trees and grass (it might brighten it up): www.cullenlandscaping.ca

Good nice yard to work with
I recommend you start with making a list of what you like in it.
Then start planing the hardscape looking at other yards and making notes hear on houzz
At that point you can call professionals to go over it and finally make a master plan with plants
Thank you