I have a similar situation. I planted dwarf mugo pine, dwarf hemlock, and robusta juniper. The juniper is iffy, size-wise in the long run, but I couldn't resist. Other options to consider, some of the smaller yews (watch out, because the common ones get huge) and dwarf japanes white pine, which I think is a gorgeous tree. You could also plant one of those weeping evergreens and have it crawl along the border. I don't particularly care for that look but I have seen it around a few places. You have to go to a good nursery which has good information about the size of their plants. There are lots of dwarf evergreens, but you have to really look to find them, try finding a nursery that specializes in them. I'm lucky to have two just up the road from me. What you want to watch out for is the fact that some evergreens just get huge fast. Cultivar information is vital.

Ohio must be really flat. It's hard for me to imagine you not having anything to look at around your area for inspiration. Come out to Cali for a vacation. Everyone has a sloped lot, but small space, so the retaining walls and landscaping are essential to get any joy or value out of your property. Start by determining what you want to use the yard for. Are there multiple uses? workshops storage sheds gardens play space outdoor kitchen seating entertaining swimming pool Make a simple plot plan layout and designate space for each function. Give ample transitional space for people to flow freely. Plan to build the retaining walls without moving too much dirt. You can create nice flat terraces by working with the existing grade. It is not really a good idea to bring in or take away very much soil. it could cause erosion or drainage issues with your entire lot.

You can't add enough gravel or soil to flatten the slope enough to make a suitable badminton court without killing trees. If there are small holes, you can fill them to even out the ground a bit to make for easier mowing, but I wouldn't do more than that. It's clear that the ground is getting enough sun for a light layer of shade tolerant grass, but even if the ground was level, this type of grass isn't dense enough IME to stand up to the foot traffic that a sports area gets. If you want a badminton court, I would put it in a spot that is level and has enough sun to grow dense grass. This might require a low retaining wall with proper footings and the removal of more trees or siting elsewhere. The area you showed in the photos will be most easily maintained for now with mowing I think, though as the trees fill in branches to take advantage of the new light and space created by tree removal, it will not continue to support grass, so you may want to plant a groundcover - depending on the type of trees, you may have issues growing many plants since shallow-rooted trees compete for moisture and nutrients with herbaceous plants and shrubs. In my area there are some energetically spreading ferns that make a lovely ground cover in this type of area. At least if you are in the eastern half of North America, you will have weeds, particularly woody weeds (maples, honeysuckle, buckthorn, oaks, etc.) since this area always moves towards forest if left to its own. So to my mind, the woody plants seeding in is a far greater issue than removing leaves from gravel in the fall. Mowing will discourage woody plants from seeding in - that's how we returned our brushy fields back to fields and how we keep the woody plants from becoming reestablished both in the fields and along the sometimes shaded road verges. And you can't mow gravel, so weeds (woody and herbaceous) would need to be removed by hand if you spread gravel since even a weed whacker can throw gravel to a point of being dangerous. Gravel is a fine mulch if you live in a very dry area, but not good in areas with a respectable amount of rain IME.

Ideas/considerations for when you talk with a real landscape architect: - how much gardening and of what kind are you/your wife wanting to do? Flowers, veggies, easy-care shrubbery? - how much lawn do you want to manicure and mow every week (personally I'd minimize the lawn, maximize your lovely woodland and natural meadow space). - if you can get electric to the hangar, do it. - cohesive yard: maybe a three-rail wood fence (backed with wire to contain pets) around the whole perimeter. If you do a fence, remember to include gates at strategic places wide enough for mowers, carts, etc. - any DIY skills or inclination? - dogs: You look like you're out in the country a bit, and big barky dogs are not a bad thing to have near the house. I like having a doggie door to give dogs access any time they want to their own dog run (an area maybe 6' wide by 15' long, fenced with 5 or 6' tall chain link). That way they can go in and out by themselves, and be contained in an area that you know is safe and escape-proof (deer, rabbits, and squirrels are such fun to chase). A normal fence can surround any other area you want them to play in while you're able to keep a closer eye on them. Not sure any of this was of help, but good luck anyhow.