Really difficult to give suggestions without the benefit of knowing what zone you live in, the exposures, your budget, etc. etc. I always think it’s best to hire a landscape designer to assist. It doesn’t appear that you need a landscape architect. You have a really good start, sort of a blank slate. Do you have some independent nurseries in your area? They usually ( where I live ) have designers on site to assist & charge reasonable fees for plans.

We live in zone 8b. The backyard has partial shade all day. As a new homeowner with absolutely no experience with backyards, I honestly have no idea what budget to assign to this. We do have nurseries in the area. That should be a good place for me to start. Thanks :)

You don't say what zone you're in, but it looks like you have lots of sun. You don't say how much time you'd have to devote to the flowers or vegetables, and of course that makes a difference. For vegetables I would suggest planting a raised garden bed. You'd be amazed how much produce you can get from a small plot. I'm a tree person, so I'd probably put in some sort of flowering tree (like a crabapple) that will produce fruit for wildlife and maybe a small flowerbed incorporated with the tree. For entertaining, I would get lots of seating with puffy cushions and small tables and a grill. I was taught to use odd numbers in gardening, so I might have 1 or three buckets of colorful annuals on the raised cement area. There is so much potential here! You could create a hummingbird garden or a butterfly garden or a rose garden, or...Good luck!

As I stated above, since you have no experience with yards, your best course of action is to have a plan to work with. It can be done in stages, you will avoid mistakes & your yard will look much better, more cohesive & aesthetically pleasing. The biggest mistake I think new homeowners make is buying plants & trees on impulse without thought to overall design & the ultimate size that trees & plants grow to ... a good independent nursery or landscape designer is a good resource.

I agree with K Laurence. Hire a garden designer to help you with a plan.....the cost is really insignificant and well worth the investment. And the zone information is not very helpful....all that does is tell you how cold it is likely to get in winter but tells you nothing about other growing conditions! A zone 8b in Washington state is going to be very different from a zone 8b in Texas and that will be different from a zone 8b in Georgia.

With your northern exposure and high solid fences, your yard is shady. That can be easily accommodated for landscaping. Leafy greens such as lettuce and kale are tolerant of shade and can be easily and attractively grown in between smaller shrubs, filling in until the shrubs are mature. Be sure that any tomato plant is in your sunniest pot.

Be aware of the maintenance required for various types of solutions. You want enough time to really enjoy your yard, if weeding and mowing and trimming are not your favorite hobbies.

Do you need overhead or side yard privacy in any area of your yard? Do you need any trees for shade? I think not. A dining table under a fabric gazebo cover keeps the table clean and cushions dry. Is there anywhere that makes the most sense location wise for the eating or cooking or living room areas? Things to think about before you decide on plants or patio stones.

What are your plans for the puppy? How big of a dog? Doug’s plan looks nice, but a 50 lb active dog would destroy it without fencing. If a neighbor has a dog, the lawn next to the fence will be a path.

If your dog is larger, I recommend raised beds. I don’t know the weather 8b has, but if it rains, I recommend a patio cover.

Puppy gets the side behind the gate:

I am no expert on landscaping, but I usually choose an area with the best sun for vegetable garden. I like raised beds as another suggested, although I've successfully gardened without. I have always had a big dog, and they seem to like to eat my vegetables, so I often fence the garden area to keep the rascals from eating all of my veggies.

I would choose how you best like to use the patio space: lounging or dining. And then buy some furniture so you can sit in your yard and enjoy it.

Typically I like to keep a nice long stretch of grass for my dog. It gives her a space to run, chase toys, and do her business. Otherwise I consider the yard a space I share with my dog. Rather than specifying one single area for her, we both enjoy being outside playing or gardening or just relaxing. We've encouraged our dog to use a specific area outside of the primary foot traffic area to leave her solid waste.

Other than that, perhaps a landscape designer or maybe even some knowledgeable staff at a local plant nursery could help you design landscaping and help you choose plants that will thrive. Think about how much time you want to spend working in the yard and make sure to communicate that to anyone helping to design the space for you. Personally I like to spend a little time in the vegetable garden, but otherwise I prefer a low maintenance yard. Others find yard work a soothing or enjoyable hobby and might prefer a higher maintenance. Knowing how you want to use the space and how much time you want to spend maintaining it will help make sure you enjoy it.

I agree with hiring a landscape designer. Some work on an hourly basis and you can bring them over for a consultation to get started. You may benefit from looking at pictures to begin to see what you like (there are different styles of yards). If you're itching to get started this summer but don't have a plan (or budget to do the full thing) you can always start to veggie garden in containers.

FWIW, I love to garden and have a ton of gardening books but that didn't stop me from making costly gardening mistakes. I.e. Planting the wrong trees and shrubs along the fenceline and then, years later, paying the arborist a pretty penny to remove them and starting again. Oy! So be glad you're starting from a blank slate. And you don't appear to have any neighboring buildings looming over the fenceline. Enjoy your project!

Do you have netflix? Big dreams small spaces with Monty Don will give you amazing ideas