If you want beds at the end of the driveway, make them large enough to fit the shrubs you plan to plant there (kept low enough to see over, for safety) and think about the shape of the adjacent lawn rather than the shape of the beds. In particular, pay attention to how you will mow along the edge of the beds without leaving awkward corners or bits that have to be trimmed by hand. Think of the position and placement of the tree and any shrub plantings in relation to the house. You want to use them to enhance the appearance of the house, while using them to make the transition from tall house to flat lawn seem less abrupt. Make the house "nestle" into the lot. You don't neccesarily need beds out at the end of the driveway, and may be planning them because other people have them, but without a real purpose. They do "dress up" the driveway entrance, but you want to call attention to the house/entry, not the driveway. Unless your border continues up the driveway on the right side and curves around to lead you and your eye to the entry, it only distracts from the house. As they are, they are too small to make a "grand entrance" and may only serve to increase your maintenance chores. If you use the juniper to hide your trash cans, try to use a couple more elsewhere in the planting plan. A one-off plant can tend to call attention to itself, defeating your purpose.

Claudia, I have some suggestions for you first before one can answer your question here. Even a professional landscaper that comes to your place would be able to do a better job if you had answers to this list of questions ready. Seeing the photo alone won't answer a number of questions that come to mind. I'll list them so you can plan your landscaping job better. 1. Is there any slope to the ground & if so, what is the inclination? Flat, gentle or steep in places? 2. What type of soil do you have - mostly clay, silt, or loam? Acidic, alkaline or neutral? 3. Where are you located - in other words, what USDA zone do you live in? Here's how you can find out if you don't know: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html What will grow will depend on where you live. 4. I see tall trees on one end so it would be good to keep an eye on how much sun your backyard gets. Are the trees on the north, south, or what side? You should keep tabs on how many hours different parts of the yard gets as light requirements for plants vary greatly. 5. Will you be able to water your plants at all? If not, how much rain do you get & during which months does it mainly fall in? 6. What direction does the wind blow in? Does the stand of trees protect your backyard during cold winter winds? 7. Lastly, what sort of preference do you have for your yard - wild meadow garden; manicured neat borders; low maintenance; or what type? Would you like some additional trees or mostly shrubs or a mixture of shrubs & perennials? Any trellises built so you can plant vines? No one would want to put lots of effort into making a garden that doesn't suit their tastes or time. As for costs & machinery, I don't do the big stuff so I'm of little help there. But once you have a better idea of what you'd like done & have the list of answers ready, you should be able to phone up professional landscapers in your area & ask for an estimate. Check around carefully & ask for referrals so you can see what their work is like. Ask to view some clients' yards. Too many so-called expert or professional landscapers just have the bigger, more costly equipment & little skill in what they do.

Took a little longer than expected, but I managed to snap a few more pictures as Yardvaark had suggested. From left to right... A few bonus pictures... this is the left hand side of the house... pretty bare right now: Right side walkway that I despise and can't stand to look at any longer.... Rear side of deck where I would like to put a small lawn mower storage shed along the back wall and a simple walkway from the narrow gate to the backyard. Rear of house from left to right Thanks again to all so far! Hopefully these new pictures are more helpful to those who wish to do some more editing!

The possibilities are endless. Here are some ideas. https://www.houzz.com/photos/small-backyard-landscaping-ideas-phbr2-bp~t_728~a_30-231--38-251