Lots of potential. Have you lived through a full year yet, so you know what will come up in spring and beyond? I wouldn’t do anything until I identified every single plant that’s there. I also don’t understand the fencing. There seems to be a black chain link fence jutting into the yard with a bench inside. What’s that about? Which fences do you own? Is that a vegetable garden next to the guest house or garage, and if do fo you want to keep it? What animals are there, especially deer? You need to provide an overall schematic of the property showing sun orientation, structures and paths.

Yes this is a very nice setting with a lot of potential. A major question that needs answering first is how much of a gardener are you or how much gardening can you afford to pay for? That will help determine how simple or complex your potential can be.

And yes, before you rip out all the 'dead brush' it needs to be identified because it could well be 'some nice plants/shrubs'. In the meantime you can pick up all the sticks and clean up the leaves while you get to know the plants that are there.

I don’t see mess. I see a garden in winter. As others have said, tidy up the obvious debris, start a compost heap and then wait. When things start to leaf out get them identified here or on the Name That Plant Forum. You could start by showing us the leaves on the vine climbing your tree. It looks like ivy. If it is, get rid of it.

Whatever you do, incorporate a fix for the back door being used as the front door as discussed in your other thread and a landscape screen wall along the road to privatize your backyard.

Hi guys thanks. The black chain fence was from the previous owners they had a dog it was a fenced area for the dog. We actually removed the fence. We moved in last summer so I have a few pictures of what it looked like then.

Hi Christopher. So we are first time home owners and would be beginner gardeners. We were planning on paying a landscaping company for the clean up work, and then trying to plant some flowers, plants on our own, maybe mulch also.

Honestly in terms of a vision, I am not that sure what would look good or work best since we are new to this. As you can see there is a lot of shade so I think we would need plants that survive in shady environments. And also there is a slope and I was told by one of the landscapers we met with that the Ivy actually holds the land on the slope.

If you want to continue seeing lots of bird life don’t over-tidy. Apart from the ivy, I actually like what you have already, as far as I can see it. You already have a healthy natural mulch in the form of leaves. There’s no need to import any more. Personally, I’d not use a landscape company unless you are sure they have some plant knowledge and won’t just chop everything back willynilly. Besides it's not a huge plot. I’m sure two people could tidy it in a couple of afternoons. And if you do it yourself you’ll become more familiar with your yard.

Congratulations on your first house, looks like you made a good choice!

Do you have any "Master Gardeners" or "Master Naturalists" in your area? Or a Garden Club? Google, or ask at your local library. Or, look for a landscape company that specializes in native plants. Or, as things come up and leaf out, post a picture here and ask.

Take your time, you do not need to accomplish everything in one season. Concentrate first on learning what you have so you don't later regret pulling out a treasure.

What I would go for with your backyard is a lush slope rich in habitat for birds. I'd incorporate shrubs such as arrow wood viburnum and deciduous hollies. I'd plant small flowers (bloodroot, violets; snowdrops and daffodils) along the top of the retaining wall, where you could sit and enjoy them up close. I'd plan for bird houses, feeders, and bird baths. Then I'd sit on that patio and enjoy :-)

Oh, buy a guide to wildflowers for your area, and a guide to birds such as Peterson's. Many are available used.

Thanks for the comments, great stuff! So we cleaned up the twigs, fallen branches, and leafs etc. Any advice for some plants or flowers to plant along the retaining wall by the slope? We still have a ways to go.

Your summer pictures showed a number of plants already planted along the top edge of the retaining wall. Now you need to wait and see what comes up. In June you can start thinking about adding plants.

The one thing I would stress is making sure all the vines climbing the trees are cut at the ground level. Now would be a good time to spray the English Ivy before everything else wakes up to begin the journey of eliminating it.

Ivy or garden? You can't have both.