Thanks y'all. The erosion is only at the bare areas and it covers pretty much the whole first section of fence. After that it is not eroding but is still on a slope. I will need to dig out some of the soil that has eroded to uncover the bottom portion of the fence and then use some sort of rock or something to cover that bottom portion of fence to hold in the mulch if I use it so it doesn't wash through the chicken wire on the fence when I landscape there. I would plant grass there but with this area in the corner of the yard the dogs go there a lot to lay down or bark at passerbyers but they tend to leave planted areas alone for the most part. If I plant something that will grow kind of tall there to block the view they will spend less time in that area. I guess I'm to the point that I'm wanting to take my backyard back and be able to enjoy it myself since I spend so much time out there with the dogs. I've been planning on this for a couple years but got my plans in motion when one of my dogs died in January and I put in a pond for a memorial area for her.

Hi. Congrats on your home and first backyard. How wonderful for you. I am not a designer, just a long-time gardener (but I did win a landscape design competition in New Orleans once!). Couple of thoughts: since your corner is in front of kitchen window you want it to be attractive year round. I guess your winters are mild so this might not be as much of a concern to have winter interest. Or did you mean the corner is immediately outside the window in which case you would not want to grow something tall to obstruct your view. or is it opposite the window? I would suggest at least some native plants that would attract birds and butterflies, as they are so much more interesting than just the plants. Hummingbirds too. As for the gingko tree, I understand they get very very tall. You might want to consider a multi trunk tree (do crape myrtles grow there?) or shrub which might hide the pole more. Or several of them to break up the scene.

It depends on your needs. Do you need a utility area in which to hide things? Or a place for kids things? Or would it be better to plant a large flowering shrub that grows higher than the fence and creates additional interest? If you have a bed in front of the c.l. fence, it's possible to lessen the length of the fence run so that it doesn't penetrate into the yard so much. You could shorten it by as much as 1/3 or 1/2, depending on the width of the bed that acts to protect people from getting too close to the drop off.

IMO, the deck and built-in seating outside of the patio doors is all wrong and should be removed. If there is any built-in seating, it should be incorporated into the top of the retaining wall (which needs reconfiguring) and should be facing outward ... though built-in seating is not the only option. It would be easier to have free-standing seating. The course of the retaining wall should not end in a "sawtooth," step-down fashion. Instead, each couple of courses (or how many are determined) should turn 90* and run toward the soil they are enclosing. They should run long enough to finish enclosing it. This way, soil is not "leaking" around their ends. Let's pretend that a huge amount of water -- a full bathtub of it -- was suddenly on the patio and looking for the easiest escape route. Which way is it going to go? ... Toward the back lot line or toward the side lot line? If it goes to the side will it continue to the front or then go toward the back? Once the ultimate path of the water is known, it's up to the designer to specify grading that makes the water escape easier. Undoubtedly, this means lower grade at the edge of the patio and pitching it slightly downward (in the direction of the escape path) such that water has no obstructions or obstacles to climb over, since it will refuse to do that. Hopefully, the drainage path is toward the back lot line as that would make more sense and make everything easier insofar as getting the flow going properly. The patio could be expanded in order to serve whatever uses the homeowner seeks to satisfy.