I see you have your trusty rain barrel up. Why don't you consider some crapemyrtles, they are basically upright growing versus redbud or dogwood to get some privacy for your patio, amybe extend it a couple of feet, it looks crowded and add some summer color in a garden bed around the patio to give the feeling of an enclosure, instead of sitting out in the open. Mix woody plants and perennials along the fence to give it some depth in winter. Spirea, Weigelia, Butterfly, etc and maybe some evergreens spotted here and there, i.e. juniper, euonymous especially on the hill at the opposite end unless you build a small retaining wall.

Here is a link that might be useful: Propagating Perennials

Listed below is a good basic book that lists plants that do well in your area and it also has many color illustrations of landscaping around several styles of homes.
I think you'll find it very helpful..........

Here is a link that might be useful: SE landscaping

Hi ncguy,

I specialize in small urban garden design but I find it difficult to make suggestions with the photos you've taken because I'm not able to see your actual patio and that side of your house.

Could you just do a sketch of your backyard showing measurements ? Indicate how large your patio is, the shape of your house, lawn area size, etc.?

From what I can kinda see, I think bullthistle is correct in his suggestion.

That mound of earth near your fence is awkward looking. Can you not dig it up and level it out ?

Here is a link that might be useful: Sweet Home and Garden Chicago

Privacy, that's what you need to address first. Cut back on the lawn where you need it the most and start with evergreens. Work down and in from there. Make your decisions from near the back door or patio where you will be spending the most time. I call it the 'Captain's seat'.

In your yard privacy is not something I would expect anytime soon from plantings. But lacking the possibility of total obscuration from all views, pick the most offense one and put in a small grove of fastigate evergreens. For the rest put in a gazebo (instant shelter) or pergola.

The OP didn't even ask for privacy suggestions.

Some more info about the backyard in question. I have a small backyard (57Â wide x 25Â deep) that I am trying to populate with either small trees or tall growing shrubs to help provide some nice landscaping while achieving some privacy from very close neighboring homes. My neighbors 6Âwood plank fence runs along the first 41Â of the back of my yard and then terminates at a 10 year old maple tree. The fence is set back about 25 feet from the back of my house. I also have a 10'x10' patio off the back corner of my house. The entire backyard area receives direct sun almost all day, has very clayey soil and is on a slight slope. We are on a corner lot so we are exposed to the street. The first shot of my backyard showing the rain barrel was taken from the street. The two juniper trees and potted roses are set about 4' in from the lot line between my house and my neighbors. I put them there to help separate are otherwise connected backyards. A fence is not an option at this point. While a Privacy screen isn't my main motivation I am interested in maintaining some privacy through my landscape desing and plant choices.

I have considered a pergola. Might ad some much needed character to my backyard and provide some shade on my patio!

Thanks for the help so far!

Here is a rough sketch of my backyard. (Not to Scale). Hope this helps! (neighbors house to the left, and the yard opend up to the street on the right. There is slightly more room to the right between the house and the street than illustrated.

{{gwi:20585}}

Thanks gardengal48, I appreciate your perspective.

ncguy, I think it would help if you would consider some of her questions such as how would you like to use the space, is shade important, color, etc.

Hope these answers help!

"Is privacy an issue you want to address?"

Yes privacy is an issue I want to address. The lot is small and I am highly visible to my neighbors. You can see through the fence along the back lot line and there is no fence separating my yard from my neighbors yard. The only thing separating the two yards are two small Juniper trees and two potted roses a few feet in from the lot line.

"Is the patio of sufficient size for your needs?"

Actually the we have been thinking of expanding the 10x10 patio we currently have. If we expanded it another10x10 along the back wall of our house, e could move the patio table onto the new 10x10 section and be in the shade.

Do you need shade or shelter from hot afternoon sun either on the patio or to the house?

YES, the current 10x10 patio gets sun all day long and gets very hot. We would either like to extend our patio into a shaded area and move the table there, or build a pergola and encourage a vine to grow on it to provide shade.

"Do you want year round color?"

That would be nice

"Low maintenance?"

I love to garden so maintenance is fine. I look forward to it.

"Room for kids to play?"

No kids, like the idea of a little grassy area to remain but our lot is small to begin with anyway.

"I am interested to hear other's suggestions on what they would do if they had to landscape this area."

I can't be certain from the photos, but to me the land forms suggest that this area is may be subject to flash flooding for something like a 20 year storm ( 5 to 6" in 2 hours?). Before I did any landscaping I would assess this potential for flooding and make sure I had the situation in hand.

If I'm reading things right, water from the lot behind you is coming under the fence and onto your lot. The same may also be true of the lot to the side of your house. From the photos I can't tell how far the drainage coming your way extends uphill. If it includes the roof water from several of the properties then you need to make and keep open a swale across your back yard that can discharge a lot of water in a hurry. I would want a grade between the patio and the back fence that was a minimum of 12 inches below house finished floor and at least 10 ft wide.

The blue arrows in the graphic below indicate the possible flows leading to a concentration of water in your backyard with a flood pool shaded in red. The needed swale is shown in red arrows.

{{gwi:20586}}

If course I could be wrong. The other properties could be diverting all their roof and yard water to the street. But if I'm right and you get the landscaping in the area between your patio and fence wrong then you will one day have a big problem. What I'm saying is, find out where the water goes first.

Hi NCguy,

The sketch helps a little. Gardengals questions were to be my next ones. I still don't have an idea, however; of the width between your house and the street on the right and neighbors to the left.

I think your idea of extending the patio is good. If you have the skills you could build a slightly above ground deck out of cedar or treated wood, creating a different level. A pergola above this deck would be great. The patio can be used to put your grill on.

An issue you need to deal with is the hard clay soil because nothing you plant in it if it's not amended is not likely to survive and you'd just be throwing money away.

Rather than digging everything up and bringing in loads of soil amendments you could create a berm by bringing in some topsoil ( 12-18 inches is ideal ) . Eventually the topsoil works its way into the clay and loosens it up. Adding some topsoil to that lower area near the fence would make it appear more level rather than hilly.

Creating a patio garden where you bring the shrubs around it for privacy instead of making a bed near the fence is, in my opinion , a better design. A mixture of blooming and evergreen shrubs ( cryptomeria 'Dwarf Global', for example is a great conifer , dwarf Korean lilac a good blooming shrub ) and a mixture of ornamental grasses and long-blooming perennials would make an attractive planting.

For practicality, I'd add a flagstone path leading from the patio and meandering to the street side or to other destinations .

To soften the fence you could plant climbing vines or roses.
On the sides of the house, both right and left, some dwarf crape myrtle or barberry shrubs would separate the house from the street. Don't plant the shrubs in a straight line - stagger them by planting one outward and then the other inward, so that they don't appear to be a solid hedge.

I think you have enough room for several small ornamental trees near the fence line . A small flowering cherry, crabapple or even semi-dwarf fruit bearing trees are some suggestions.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sweet Home and Garden Chicago

I would put a retaining wall up to make a level area just in front of the fence. Stone or pre-cast landscape blocks that interlock would do the trick. That would take care of the very back. Expanding the patio and making a pergola or gazebo for shade were also excellent suggestions.

Hi NCguy,
Like most lots, your backyard space is a rectangle with a border fence or wall. Simple shapes, like a rectangle, are so quickly recognized by the eye we lose interest. And the space has no view for the eye to escape to, so we continue to search inside the "box" for interest.
Introducing curved shapes inside the yard creates interest and leads the eye to explore the details.
The background of the fence and two story buildings is a distraction. We might do well to stop the eye and bring it down into the yard again.
The view from the patio will help you to strategically place a few small trees to block out the nearby buildings.
Planted 8 feet from the fence, these trees should work well. You might consider using Dogwood or Flowering Cherry.
Mark the tree locations and then, using a garden hose, start at the fence corner (about 3 feet out from the fence) and make a curving line, like a snake, across the 50 foot fenceline.
Shrubs, planted in groups of 3 or 4 along this line (with spaces in between)will create a new background. The shrubline, combined with the trees, will keep the eye moving. You might use broadleaf shrubs like hydraengea or Rhododendrum where the trees give shade; and use spirea or weigelia in the sun.
For privacy on the right, you might cut out a curved, semi-circle of lawn, 4 feet wide and 15 feet long, for a shrub or evergreen hedge. Hibiscus would give you choices for flower color or evergreens like Juniper 'Witchita Blue' would add a silver grey to the yard.
Inside the semi-circle would be space for a small circle of perennials and/or annuals. A border of brick, laid side by side would keep the lawn looking neat.
Now take the hose and start at the end of the hedgerow (nearest the fence) and make a large pond shape that moves to the left, avoids the trees, and ends at the left side of the patio. This is the new lawn shape. Any areas outside the lawn are for shrubs and border plants.
Inside this new lawn space there's room for a patio extension. If the patio is concrete, you might consider continuing that material and then staining it all to match.
A rounded shape would work well here. A 3 foot wide by 5 feet long cutout at the patio edge will leave room for a drift of low plantings.
Gotta go now. Good luck with your project!
-Ted Kmiecik

I would also consider the way in which water moves through your yard from other people's. It does seem like it might be a significant issue, which could either be dissipated or severely worsened by what you do next.

- Audric

Only plant native.