You're off to a good start. The assessment of what you need, coupled with your plan, will probably get you a good result the first time instead of the the third reconstruction. I have only a few comments. Looking at your plan my mind was having difficulty reconciling the plan with the stated yard dimensions of 60 ft by 40 to the backdoor, 29 to the bedroom. It's a minor thing that would probably only bother me. But after superimposing a grid on the plan it can be seen there is a small error of scale (the red dash lines match the dimensions for the yard and house walls). Keep this in mind as you develop plant spacing. Also, you make no mention of the slope of the property. One important consideration of every landscape is water movement and drainage. If your yard is flat, even small changes in grade or hardscape can cause a problem. I suggest you use one copy of your plan to map all water movement; roof water, any water entering from another property, where the excess water leaves your property, and flow direction throughout the yard. One of the items you mention is shade for the patio. No wonder, Dallas is hot. The placement of just the right tree in the right spot is needed to accomplish the goal. As the seasons change, so does the sun's location. You should consider what weeks of the year shade is most important along with what time of day the patio will be in use. Plant a tree that shades the patio at 6 pm in March and in June you may find that the patio is in shade at 4 pm while at 6 pm it's back in sun. Crown shape and height are important factors to consider, a greater height allowing for a greater distance, patio to tree. You might want to plant a fast growing tree close to the patio for shade over the next 5 years while a more substantial tree grows to a greater height further back in the landscape. All of this can be planed but first the true orientation of the yard must be known. This can be found by noting the time of day along with the date of observation that the sun aligns with the side fence. (example 5:38 on May 15).

Oh, I see, thanks. It really is a separated cooking room, which I don't mind -- sometimes I don't want to clean up fully after a long day and it is out of sight of the rest of the living areas -- and the route to the backyard/basement/back garage door/ trash.recycling.compostbins really can't be changed. It is a utility space. In a perfect world, it would have more connection to my large patio and garden out back.One of the reasons I would like to bring back the covered-up window. But I am a utilitarian cook for the most part -- I cook to eat, not as a sensory experience or for relaxation etc. I guess my only exception to that is I do like to preserve fruits, pickles, relishes etc from my yard and experiment with that -- like making my own pumpkin syrup-- this urge strikes me 2 -3 times a year! We eat in the dining area. It is just myself and my daughter, and this again works for us--connecting over the table instead of in front of a TV. If she were younger, I might lean toward a more open plan (as I had back then in another house) but this really is fine with me. I am not at all inclined to go to the expense of removing walls. I just want to make this space as functional and easy to use as I can within its current confines. I have trouble visualizing (or even thinking of)different options, so I really appreciate your help! Putting the fridge and pantry on the south wall will narrow the walk-through space, but on the other hand, I will be opening up room to work on the east wall that is wasted now, so the cook will be more out of the way of that path.

There is plenty of room for a small ornamental tree in that bed!! Something in the 10-15' range would be completely appropriate and provide some necessary height or verticality to that location. A weeping redbud or cherry, small Japanese maple or flowering crab or a tree-form hydrangea would look great there. Or do some research into "patio trees" - these are not really trees at all but usually flowering shrubs that have bee trained into a tree-like form and are intended for small planting areas like patio beds. Ninebarks, hydrangeas, lilacs, dappled willow or a vast number of dwarf conifers can work in this situation.

I am thinking that the space in front of the crotons that is partially covered by roof and is shielded from the street would be a great place to sit and read. You could put a chair and a foot stool and a side table and bring out a pitcher of ice tea and be set for the afternoon. Maybe something simple in wood, like cedar. Or an adirondack chair. I might even take a nap instead of read :)