More photos of the area.

Hi --- I love your place - it is so woodsy and I think you should go with that feeling --- put a 6ft high cedar screen fence along the paving leaving it open near the garage door. A random pathway of log slices set in a fine gravel /sand base leading to the house beside the screen fence and enlarging into a patio area at the house .

I would fence the perimeter of property from view of nosey neighbors, but I would not fence out the garage and driveway. The garage is a beautiful asset to your yard and view from the house. It seems you have an outdoor fireplace near the house front door. First you have to ask yourself what activities do you plan for this yard: cook on a grill, entertain many people?, not use the yard very much but have it a nice place to look upon from the house, vegetable garden or other garden, areas fro animals, children? This yard seems to be the house's front yard, do you have a back yard, too? Most driveways are not much of a beautiful asset, the driveway could be cleaned though from car oil etc droppings. You will have a united, cohesive look if you use materials that are already in use. The brick on the out door fireplace is an example. I think I'd use the same or similar brick from that fireplace for the path. A path from the wide house opening to the small garage door. A path encompassing the first tree I see! That path would be graceful and look kinda cute with the tree as a part of the brick path. You can spray paint on the grass (or put rocks as markers) to make a slightly curving path shape that is useful and pleasing design-wise. If you could add some of the decorative rectangular stones that are on the house fireplace into the brick path design that would be really wonderful. I'd place a large urn like this on the left side of the front door I'd treat the rest of the yard as the small wooded area it already want to become, but a more manicured woods than mother nature knows. I'd cut away large circles of the grass around each tree and fill with mulch, this would look attractive, & I'd have the brick edging circling these areas, too. I'd leave the yard very simple. To the left of the front door I'd buy a quality trellis and have a vine trained to look nice again

continued To the left of the front door I'd buy a quality trellis and have a vine trained to look nice against that part of the house or I'd buy a tree that could be (or already was) espaliered.

Thank you both for the ideas. These photos, unfortunately, were taken several months ago before my neighbor installed a fence on the western border of the property. The newly installed fence was installed with the use of "used" fence sections, which I am not entirely sure how I feel about that. It turned out fine, and I don't love it, but I will leave it alone for now.

Yes, we have a front yard, although it's not used much and I do not have a good photo of it. There's a wrap-around porch on the front of the house, which, like the rear porch with the fireplace, helps to join the indoor living area with the outdoor.

An espaliered tree is a great idea for along the wall. Were you referring to the long wall, or the wall between the small and large garage door? That "long wall" area does not get much light, so I will need to research what type of espaliered tree will do well in low light, unless you are aware of one that would work well in Texas climate.

I very much like the idea of the path encompassing the tree, but I am not entirely sure whether to only connect it to the garage door, or whether to also include a second entrance to the path from the driveway nearer to the main house. The major problem with this area is that it slopes towards the house. That's not easy to see in the photos, but it's certainly a concern of mine.

For the path, I wonder whether to use the same type of ledgestone as the fireplace in a larger size, such as flagstone size--possible putting it in a bed of gravel. Would that be too much surface. j22b, for the brick path you refer to, what type of base should I use for the stones, e.g., sand, gravel?

Thank you again for your help.

Actually, for the espalier or vine, I was referring to the left wall on your house, it looked somewhat bare. Sorry am not familiar with your planting zone, not sure what vines or espaliers would do well. Does bougainvillea grow there? That might be nice on a trellis on the left side of the house? I think an espalier on the garage long side would not be in keeping with a wooded area theme. Am not familiar with ledgestone, but if it is keeping with the spirit of the house, I'm all for it. When I was thinking of the path from the small garage door, I was thinking it should include the entire edge of the driveway, too, from the small garage door to the house, and curve toward the house for the wide house opening. Maybe that's too wide a path, though (?), *but* I have read a wider path (for at least 2 people walking together) is more welcoming than a narrow path. I would contract this work out, I am a DIY, but would not attempt a path. I Googled "how to make a flagstone path" and many hits came up including one from Sunset that is usually reliable (but I did not read). I understand completely about the fear of the slope near your house. I *do* see some areas where the slope is away from your house (and into a neighbor's yard?). Anyway, I knew a Hungarian farmer who taught me about landscaping drainage away from the house. He said it was used on the farms years ago in Hungary. It turns out what he was talking about is called usually "French drain". Where you want the path, but underneath, you dig drainage ditches and fill those with tar paper and stones. Then, you would lay the "Sunset" recommended sand etc. for the path.The French drains carry water away from the path into the down slopes. Disclaimer, I am not a landscaper, but as a homeowner I have used this French drain several times and I think it worked (no blind study evidence based, though). Google "french drain" , for more information. Here's a Wiki link and they say not stones but a perforated drain. My old Hu

continued My old Hungarian friend used what was available in our area (plenty of stones), but I can see a perforated drain pipe would be good, too, probably better. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_drain