I would add peat moss or similar soil amendments to your soil (depending what's available where you live) plus some bone meal to help the roots get established.

Unless you plant something that will grow above the fence, you will not get any more privacy than you get now with the fence. Small tree form plants made of tall shrubs could extend above the fence, with only trunks below so your yard is not consumed with bush. What exact plants would depend on where you live.

You could grow some clematis on the fence but you'd need to add a trellis in front of it so the clematis has something to grow on. Its blooms are going to last a couple of weeks every year ... not forever. Roses could go in front of the fence so long as you don't shade them out with other plants. Blooms will be intermittent.

I would highly recommend doing a little research. Google slender growth patterns with a max height. That will minimize maintenance. Layer and stagger your layers. Mix greens, lime, dark, grey, and blue-greens. This gives interest even when plants are not in bloom. Most important have drip irrigation. Feel free to ask more garden questions.

If you want low maintenance be very very careful of vines and do the research on shrubs etc. Vines can be high maintenance with trimming, droppings, and rats. Most shrubs grow several feet high and wide, which means bi-weekly trimming. In one of the pictures of your place was butterfly bushes, their hight is great but they get 4 to 6' wide too.

It would be very helpful to know what State the house is in so that we can help determine the planting Zone. It won't do you any good to purchase plants that will not thrive in your Zone especially if you need low maintenance. :)

Don't overlook the possibility of hanging some pots or planters from the fence to have trailing flowering and vines. They can add a lot of charm, and variety from year to year.

Consider getting a consultation with a local landscape pro. Sometimes your local nursery can recommend someone good, or send someone from their store to offer advice at your house. Or bring lots of pictures to them, including some of your soil. They can tell you in flash what will grow well for that setting.

Start by identifying your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone. It will be a waste of time, money and plant materials if installing plants that will not survive your conditions. Concerning soil . . . since a fence and stepping stones are installed, need to dig a few holes to determine if top soil/sand extends down or just forming a top layer. Many states have Cooperative Extension services that provide free (or nominal charge) services ranging from testing soil, water, etc. to having a master gardener helping with design and selecting plants. Also consider irrigation when doing your project unless willing to add to your home maintenance chores by hand watering.

I agree with Yardvaark, to get more privacy, you'll need to plant a few strategically placed, USDA-zone and size appropriate trees. Consult a local pro for species advice. Between the trees, as a new gardener, you may do well to use rectangular planter boxes filled with good soil. No need to amend the actual ground. Plant boxes with flowers, hardy herbs like rosemary or lavender, add a trellis for vines, etc., whatever will grow in your area.

Lady Banks roses - they'll cover the entire area and you get a lot of show from the flowers - you just have to keep them trimmed back quite often, but they're beautiful!

Here is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/

I am sure there are other plant finder tools on the web. I use this one it has been particularly helpful since I live in that area. However, I am sure it has good tips no matter where you live. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/plantfinder/plantfindersearch.aspx If you have an extension service near you, they can also be a wealth of information. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/extension-search Depending upon how much rain you get, most things in pots will require more watering. How wide is your area? Could you move your stepping pavers to give you more space? If you want to beautify your yard, maybe look at it as a whole yard plan.

A simple fence trellis, like this pic or independent of the fence will help with privacy and add interest. You could do vines or hanging pots. I agree that vines can get messy, keeping vines off the fence will preserve the fence (water retention in winter). The added hardscape of a trellis should be to scale with the fence and the planting area. From there you can plan out your plantings. This might not work if you want plants that require lots of sun.

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Thanks everyone! I am in Toronto, Canada so I'm zone 6 but USDA considers Toronto zone 5. My soil is terrible, very dry. I was pulling out some plants in the area I'm trying to create a real garden in and I was finding large amounts of ashphalt, broken glass bottles and rusty cans. My house was built around 1880 so who knows what happened between then and now.

Also, I have trouble growing and maintaining grass, it's very patchy. I wanted to know if anyone had any experience with alternatives like Thyme and Micro Clover.

In the 1880s, family trash that could not be burned was buried in pits. You may be digging in one of these pits; it may not be deep. Be careful as there may be rusty cans in addition to the broken glass. If your lucky, you may find unbroken bottles to display.

Hi Lindsay.

I live in Michigan USDA Zone 6. You won't be able to use above ground planters as most perennials will suffer badly from the freeze if not completely die. That said, plants will grow around broken glass, etc. as long as the soil itself is decent. I suggest you pay a couple guys from a high school football team come and dig out a large trench along the fence to bury narrow horse trough planters. They don't have to be brand new [the planters not the guys] https://www.pinterest.com/pin/154952043399694610/ Fill the planters or trench with garden soil--not top soil.

I just re-landscaped an older home in Pontiac MI and aimed for low maintenance perennials like hostas, daylilies and coral bells mass planted in groups of 3. Look for reblooming daylilies which will add massive color with little work. https://www.oakesdaylilies.com/. Daylilies love Epsom salts.

You might want to add height with pillar form shrubs with color like Orange Rocket Barberry or that flowers/berries. Maybe hollies? Talk to your local nursery about what they have unless you want to buy online.

Roses require a great deal of time and attention and chemicals especially if the Japanese beetles find them. I had to pull out a 12 bush beds of roses due to beetles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_beetle Clematis would be very beautiful, but can make maintenance of the fence difficult and they grow slowly. If you have little ones consider whether the flowers will draw stinging insects.

I really like but didn't have much luck with micro clover. Died after the 1st year.

Once you determine your hardiness zone, my suggestion is containers. They'd look SO nice against the fence, and you can combine it w trellis and privacy topping. I suggest going to Pinterest and look up fences, trellis, gardening. End of summer is a great time for sales. Check for containers that can handle extreme cold or snow if need be.

As for the lawn, are pavers possible? If you're struggling w grass it might be an option. Keep us posted on the progress please!

Clematis with ferns below will do well. I’m in Toronto as well and had this combo before. It does well with minimal maintenance. I would get a mix of type 1 and type 3 so that you have spring and summer blooms.

While some of the shrubby, flowery pictures above are very pretty, it doesn’t appear that your space could support such plantings. It’s too narrow and you said it’s poor soil and very dry. Be careful that what you choose will grow in your conditions or you will just be throwing money away.

Check out this HOUZZ article on a Toronto backyard shaped similar to yours https://www.houzz.com/houzz-tv/houzz-editor-shares-3-tips-for-upgrading-your-yard-stshtvvw-vt~137325192?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u14089&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery7_8&newsletterId=14089

This is so great, thank you so much everyone. :)

Climbers might not be low maintenance. One thing that wasn’t mentioned is whether you are looking for something that will have year round interest. Especially since you mention privacy, you might want a couple of evergreens such as yaupon holly or arborvitae. Depending on your location jasmine can be evergreen as well. Also look into bushes and flowering vines native to your area to attract birds and butterflies to your yard! The fence looks lovely. Getting your soil tested by your state’s local agricultural extension is easy and free. It can tell you exactly what to add to your soil, but making a raised bed where you buy compost and soil, piled on top is also easy too.

Check to see if your local nursery has any espaliered shrubs or trees (they are trained to grow flat against a wall or fence). Could be a fun mix with the other suggestions you have received...good luck!!

How did the garden turn out to be? I bet it looks really nice now! My husband and I have retired recently, and now we want to pay more attention to the garden around the house so the grandchildren have a place to play when they come over. We just have a loan, and it’s nice, but we want to do some edging and maybe plan something like citronellas because they smell good and are mosquito repellent. I found some ideas online on https://www.finehomegardening.com/article/citronella-plant-1653911160296, and they look nice in pictures. We are not sure, however, whether we can implement all of that in real life. We’re probably going to choose the parts we like the most.