What direction does the property face? Where are you located? What do you want to use the yard for? Can you take a picture from the back boundary ?

Help us with a general dollar digure you are looking to spend. what comes to mind when you think oasis?

My house is south facing and I’m in a northern suburb of Illinois. I am thinking around $800-$1000. For me an oasis has beautiful plants, a nice conversation area and a place I could curl up and read a good book!

More of a sanctuary than an oasis.

That budget is extremely low to develop any sort of garden. Even a very tiny one. You could eat that up easily with a decent sized tree and a few shrubs.

I would do as big a pergola over the patio as you can afford, and add curtains that you can pull back or let hang for privacy.

Some ideas with firepit and sitting