I really, really like hrigsby's idea with the deck. Under the deck storage can be for kid stuff--they can keep their outside playthings there, from bikes and scooters to enormous waterguns. Enclose it and make it a closet. >I was thinking of doing climbing roses and clematis on the shed, but I want to develop a clear plan before I start buying plants. You are totally overthinking this. If you want the look of a clematis and rose-draped shed, get a clematis and a big climbing rose. Go to the species forum and ask for advice, and then go and buy your New Dawn rose and whatever clematis everyone's enthralled by now. Plant them. Mulch their roots so they don't get weedy. Done. You are not going to throw off the entire garden plan by choosing the wrong rose and the wrong clematis. The rock work on the shed foundation is awesome, but as far as plants go...could you possibly do worse? >The park-like look really appeals to me with mulched burmed beds, if that makes sense. Manicured, simple, orderly. You mean commercial and/or parks-and-rec sorts of plantings? This seems to be what you're saying--shaped hedges floating in seas of mulch... This takes a lot of weed killer and a BIG budget for mulch. It also will look, at best, like a rather nice office building. I think you might need more exposure to various kinds of gardens. What you're imagining is mass-maintenance, not low-maintenance. And it's unsuited to a home, though many builders of cookie-cutter homes throw in the cookie-cutter shrubs like this. >Photos of Japanese style gardens appeal to me also. Not low maintenance. >I also love the idea of attracting birds more. I have seen blue jays, cardinals, sparrows, and morning doves. A water feature would be great but I don't think I want a pond. If you want a wildlife garden area, circle where you want it on your layout. Do you want to see it from the patio? From the windows of which room? I'd advise a prefabbed, plug-in type of water feature for low maintenance. Most are hideous. Some are nice. Eventually, you can find one you like. >We also love the idea of doing raspberry, blueberry, blackberry bushes for the kids and birds, but I hear the roots can be very invasive. Why didn't you go over to the fruit forum and ask? The very nice people there would have explained to you that you need a 2' deep root barrier for the raspberries but none for the blackberries. (The lazy way to do it is a 2' deep raised bed, but that may not be smart in your zone.) You will want to plant this either on the east or west side, parallel to the property line but with a pathway at least as wide as the mower. You want this on the OPPOSITE side of property than the wildlife garden, if you really want it for the kids. If you want it mostly for birds, there are better choices of plant--far more attractive for people. If you want several types of raspberry, each needs a 2' deep root barrier between them, or the more aggressive types will take over. The bed needs to be 2' wide. Mulch it well to prevent weeds. Each plant needs 3' of length along the bed. Put a hedge up along the other side, between you and your other neighbors, to reduce the feeling of exposure. As far as the existing arbs, I'd personally do a mixed shrub border, but I fear you will want an orderly row of evergreens that will do nothing to soften the shape of the yard and will grown unmanageably huge themselves in time. I can't really see the commercial berms and sterile plantings plus wildlife combination. It does not at all work in my mind.

Thanks for the input! I had no idea the pictures weren't right side up--they look it to me on the thread! Are you still seeing them sideways or upside down? This isn't really the main "hang out" since we usually congregate out by the garage. We have dogs so while we will be replacing the ugly fence, we won't be eliminating it all together. We put in an electric fence ourselves that does our two acres, but it's nice to have a fenced in area with three dogs as well. I like the idea of a patio, but I've never put one in and neither has hubby. Would be a bit of a learning curve and I'm not sure he wants to scrap the whole deck idea all together. I was hoping for a deck with some type of large egress--either a big wide stairwell or a way to have it with no railing stepping down to the flagstone path (we already have those stones) plus a side walkway over to a small flagstone patio by the red barn? Right next to the red barn gets shade in the afternoon--the rest of the deck wouldn't for a few years (tree had to be cut down that gave us some shade--I'll be planting a new maple soon). Location is upstate, NY, and I definitely don't want more painting or staining in my future! We removed the aluminum siding on the house a few years ago and had it painted last year. I hand painted 30+ spindles, top & bottom rail, and the deck of the porch. Plus I personally have painted all 3200 sf of the house myself inside! Ugh--no more!! Any other pics or ideas are welcome! Thanks again! Sarah from Albany, NY

Well, I'm not even gardening on the same continent as you, but in my shady town garden I have a lot of green. There are hellebores, ferns, loads of spring bulbs, pulmonarias, welsh poppies, skimmia ... but it's also important in a tiny space to get the bones right. Ie the hard scape. You already have some walls, steps and beds and it would be good if you could get those nice iron columns properly vertical. I'd lose the rickety trellis and replace with something more robust. I'd also chuck the half barrel. It's clutter. The beds also need to be well cultivated and filled with a good soil mix.

So nice to have a private outdoor space in the city! I love the columns and if it is possible to stablilize and reuse them, I would do so since they add nice character. It looks like you have a few different styles of containers/planters, and in such a small space, I would be inclined to choose just one or two for consistency. Right now you have built in brick planters, a half whiskey barrel, and a square planter. Because you have a small space, I would aim in the long run to limit the variety in general - not too many different types of plants, or too many types of seating, etc. I would begin by evaluating what you have there. What is the thing in the middle of the photo that looks like a dark fabric hood? What plants are already in the space? (You can take photos and get IDs on the Name that Plant Forum. Take both closeups of foliage and flowers and whole plant photos to include.) Are current planters and benches stable and in good shape or do they need to be removed or replaced for safety or stability? What is the "floor" of space and is it in good repair? Is the soil in good shape or do you need to get bags of compost to enrich the soil before doing any planting? How is the space accessed and is there more space behind the camera? You say it is partly shaded. How much sun is there, and where does it actually fall? What you can reasonably grow well will be greatly dependent on light levels, so spend a day now and every couple of weeks until late June evaluating how the light changes with the seasons and over the course of the day. Do you have a way to get materials into the space? For instance, does everything need to come through your home, and do you have a vehicle to get materials to the space, or do you rely on public transportation? Is there access to water and power out there? Then decide what you want from the space and how you want to use it. Will it just be for yourself or immediate family? A space for entertaining friends? A place for outdoor cooking, ranging from toasting marshmallows to grilling? A quiet spot for reading and contemplation? Will you be doing the work all on your own, or hiring a designer or have a work day with friends or family? Do you have time to do maintenance such as trimming and deadheading or do you want something that is low maintenance? Are there animal pests you want to discourage or animal visitors such as birds you want to encourage? Will you want lighting available for night time use? How you want to use it and with whom along with the amount of work you are willing or able to do will determine how to approach the project along with budget. Once current plants are IDed and you have evaluated the hardscape that is currently there, you will need to decide which materials meet your needs as is, which can be reused in another spot, and which need to be removed. Then you can start adding to make it a space that fits what you would like. One thing I've done is spend a lot of time looking at garden spaces and imagining being in them to get a feel for what spaces I find appealing. In your case, look in books (often libraries have a good garden section) and on line for images of courtyard spaces, small yards, and city gardens. Often British garden spaces are small and walled, so you may find good inspiration from British gardening books or websites on how to arrange small walled spaces like yours. Please come back as you work on this and update or as other questions arise.