Great idea by @Celery. Visualization, Rendering images

I would like to see the way this is situated to the home. Looks more like a side yard. If cooking outdoors where is access to the kitchen? Post a picture of the house front on, thanks

If you actually want to be able to use the area, make sure you plan for shade in the hottest part of the day--trees to S/SW is what you need, especially over that concrete reflecting heat build up from all day sun.

I need to see athe whole outdoor space and how it relates to the house I would never want entertaining space open to the public like it would be in your front yard . I need context to understand this .

Entertaining space. I see space at the back of your yard contiguous to your deck. That would be the more functional area to locate seating, etc. Currently several large bushes are occupying it. Those, when trimmed, would look great at the front of your lot on a berm with some ground cover appropriate to your region. I'd explore having them transplanted. They'd add privacy and you know they grow well with little care.

Thank you Celery. Visualization, Rendering images!

Thank you all for your input! I’ll upload another photo for context!

Hope this helps! The front of the house doesn't face the road. The house faces south. The second picture included is behind the house. We clearly need help everywhere.

Thank you!!

You’ve got a lot to work with, but still a lot of missing context here.

Where are you located? -Helpful for advising on plants and landscape design/ uses.

Is that a giant gravel driveway leading up to the house, gravel yard, or other? Do you have neighbors or are you out in the country? Do you see the house and yard from a public road or is that not a concern?

And because you mentioned raised beds, it sounds like you are wanting to use the space for vegetable gardening? Where do you tend to get the most sun?

Not sure how easy it would be for you to sketch out a site plan that reflects your yard in relation to the house, driveway/ road, and existing landscaping— but it’s hard to get a sense of what’s going on from the photos.

@Old House Restorer We are in California zone 9. I uploaded an aerial view of the house maybe that helps!

Gravel yard-needs updating. We are out in the country but do have neighbors. The side area is mostly hidden from the hedges.

I don't have to have raised beds there- it was just an idea. We do get a lot of sun on that side. I'm really open to ideas.

Some things that I would consider upfront: trees for shade or privacy, screening that area from the road (various methods), and easy access from the house, especially the kitchen. For example, I had to have a fence built and convert one of my garage windows to a door to accomplish this in my "backyard", which like yours is also a side yard.

Aerial view helps a lot! Will try and find links to some projects I’ve liked in the past that feature gravel yards and dining/ fire pit areas and post them here in the next few days. Unfortunately I’m in Midwest so not knowledgeable on CA plant life, but hopefully some of the talented designers on this forum make their way here and chime in!

Thank you @Nancy R z5 Chicagoland for the ideas!

Thank you @Old House Restorer

thank you all!

I'd do somehting like this:

Beautiful "New Normal" California Landscape · More Info

Pacifica California Native Landscape · More Info

You can't see the yard from the street, so actually the facade of the house is the first thing you see. Consider that area as well.

" some of the talented designers on this forum "

I have to laugh at this comment :-) With very few exceptions, the designers that post here are interior or kitchen designers or are merely handy at fabricating renderings that cannot exist in real life. Plant knowledge from this bunch is virtually nonexistent.

If you want to develop a successful landscape design, hire a qualified local designer. You are not going to generate many helpful responses from an online forum that anyone can participate in, whether they have design credentials or not. Most of the design suggestions I run across here are garbage.

I think most of the opinions and suggestions are very well considered. Taste varies so not necessarily garbage to everyone.

If one has formal training in landscape design then the suggestions are not so "well considered". Many are in direct contradiction to established landscape design principles. And only someone trained in that profession could tell.

I see what you mean but some non-pros on here have a great eye.

Some nurseries have free consultations. Sunset Magazine has more specific plant zones than USDA. Sigrid has shown a great native CA garden that would work. Without irrigation, native species like Monkeyflower and Fuscia will thrive.

Grasses and herbs like rosemary, lavender need hardly any water. I like Sea Lavender and Salvia for nice blue flowers. Beautiful with California poppies in Spring. Groundcover like Sedums and Chamomile.

Zone 9 look at Manzanita, Toyon, Grapevines, Russian Sage, Ceonothus, Lupine Bush etc.

No Fuchsias are native to California, or anywhere in N. America. Nor are they drought resistant. Perhaps you are referring to Epilobium canum? California 'Fuchsia'.

Landscaping is more than picking plants. Before they are even considered a designer needs to address the needs of the owners and the physical aspects of the area such as light, soil etc. Then you do the hardscaping to fulfil those criteria. And last of all you choose the plants.

Zones are only an indicator of average winter low temps. They provide no help when it comes to summer conditions or precipitation. That's why geographical location is so important.

Yes. Epilobium canum. Thank you floral.

That's why I mentioned the Sunset climate zones...they define very specific conditions.

I'm Californian and all the plants I mention I see practically everywhere. Pretty mild overall unless you're at elevation or inland valley not much hard freeze. We get freeze warnings to cover plants but not commonly throughout the winter months.

I'm suggesting native plantings for along the front of the house and elsewhere easy to prune and maintain.

Thanks floral for your comment. Plant selection is the very last item for consideration. First a comprehensive plan that takes in the site, the soil conditions, the climate and the intended usage. Then the hardscaping. Plant selection is merely the icing on the cake.....you have to bake/build the cake first...........

For behind the house, I envision rows of wine grapevines (or table grapes) parallel to the white fenceline. We see a lot of these mini-vineyards in people's yards in our area, more out in the country. Even in front yards in town, strings of grapes. From Santa Ynez to Mendocino to Lodi.

OP states "I’d like something easy maintanance(sic) possibly gravel."

This person does not sound like even a rudimentary gardener, and certainly not like someone ready to do the regular training and pruning required by grape vines.

Here are some thoughts:(I did not see that you are in zone 9, so you will want to change the shade tree shown).