This is seen all the time here on the west coast, and wouldn't seem abnormal in the least. It sounds like your idea is a good solution to your privacy problem and while it set your garden apart from the norm in Arkansas, it's your garden to live in.

Looking at that street plan, it looks like that 15x47.1 area that extends beyond the rear lot line is likely an addition to your property - maybe you have a bigger backyard than you think! My BIL's lot is like that - land behind them was up for development but the neighbours were offered the chance to buy some of the land immediately abutting their property. BIL did that, so his lot looks a bit like what I'm seeing on that street plan view. Maybe the properhy owner at the time that walking trail was made, bought some of the land.... If you haven't alreadty, check that out first. I think it would be possible to make an attractive front fenced area if the backyard option isn't feasible. I'd start by shaping a lawn area by mirroring the curve of the driveway onto the opposite side, which would produce a sort of oval lawn with pointed ends :-) Then leave a straight line from the porch to the street as a wide entrance walkway; fence along that, follow along the curved propertly line, to the garage. I'd use a 4' black ornamental iron or aluminium fence, with a gate halfway along the entrance walk and another at the garage end (or by a sidedoor if there is one...) I'd plant a mixed border along the fence by the walkway, continuing along the house, with shade-tolerant vines to grow on the fence side. You'd have roughly triangular area between the shaped lawn and the fenced area. I'm not sure where the tree is exactly - hopefully in that triangular area! There would be a small clear area in the center of the fenced area - lawn if it would grow; otherwise a low tough groundcover that would tolerate the dogs. It could be quite interesting - let green and white dominate the colors in the plantings - that's the easiest color combination in shade and always looks cool and restful. I'd draw what I mean except my computer with the scanner died last week and I haven't got a new one yet :-) I do not like those electric dog fences - I think they are cruel, especially for sensitive dogs like shelties! So, IMO any option is better than that.

I live in central NH, and probably have similar soil (though perhaps finer in texture) since I have fine sandy acid loam. My property is geologically new soil, on the site of a glacial lake, so very little organic matter (and virtually no rocks, unusual for this part of NH.) I am going to respectfully disagree with Ken about the organic matter. I typically add about 6 inches of well aged manure to the entire bed before planting to provide some organic matter and help with moisture retention and mix it in with a spading fork. Then I plant shrubs not adding anything specifically to the planting hole, and mulch well with a layer of cardboard topped with 5" of so of loose wood curls (commercial mulch would do the same thing) that probably weather down to about 3". This helps keep moisture even and weeds down. I usually also edge with the big box store black plastic edging buried to ground level and place a line of bricks inside for the mower wheels to run on to keep out grass. I've done this with my shrub borders and it has worked well with little work, though I do renew the mulch every 2-3 years. My suggestion would be a staggered row of mixed evergreens and several of one type of flowering shrub either sprinkled along the length or in a solid row along one side to give you an ornamental yet functional hedgerow. A full-sized cultivar of Hydrangea paniculata such as Limelight, Pinky Winky, or Quickfire (blooms early July until hard frost) or else Physocarpus/ninebark would work well. In my shrub bed both are healthy, bloom well, and provide long season interest in full to mostly sun. Some other alternatives for part to full sun include some of the PJM family of rhododendrons, Hydrangea arborescens such as Annabelle (needs afternoon shade), or Kalmia/mountain laurel. The only maintenance I do on my H. paniculata and arborescens is a once a year trim of the old blossoms, and I do even less on the ninebark, mountain laurel, and rhododendrons. My evergreens are a mix of Fat Albert blue spruce (probably too large for your use here) and two types of Thuja occidentalis, Sunkist and Techny, but you may want something a bit smaller. This mix is low care, blocks sight relatively well after about 5 growing seasons, and has spring or summer flowers (depending on which of the flowering shrubs you use) and a mix of winter colors. This photo includes several of the plants I mentioned: Coppertina ninebark on the left, a rhododendron, Quickfire Hydrangea (in fall colors - it starts blooming white), Fat Albert blue spruce, and immediately behind the Hydrangea are Thuja Sunkist on the left and Thuja Techny on the right.

What height of fence? What kind of fencing? What is the purpose of putting a fence around the shed? The only way I can picture this looking nice would be if you placed a low picket fence some distance around the shed with a cute little garden between the shed and the fence. Something like these pictures could look cute. If you're talking about a 6ft privacy fence or chainlink fence, especially close to the shed, I think it would look very strange.