Hi NCguy, Like most lots, your backyard space is a rectangle with a border fence or wall. Simple shapes, like a rectangle, are so quickly recognized by the eye we lose interest. And the space has no view for the eye to escape to, so we continue to search inside the "box" for interest. Introducing curved shapes inside the yard creates interest and leads the eye to explore the details. The background of the fence and two story buildings is a distraction. We might do well to stop the eye and bring it down into the yard again. The view from the patio will help you to strategically place a few small trees to block out the nearby buildings. Planted 8 feet from the fence, these trees should work well. You might consider using Dogwood or Flowering Cherry. Mark the tree locations and then, using a garden hose, start at the fence corner (about 3 feet out from the fence) and make a curving line, like a snake, across the 50 foot fenceline. Shrubs, planted in groups of 3 or 4 along this line (with spaces in between)will create a new background. The shrubline, combined with the trees, will keep the eye moving. You might use broadleaf shrubs like hydraengea or Rhododendrum where the trees give shade; and use spirea or weigelia in the sun. For privacy on the right, you might cut out a curved, semi-circle of lawn, 4 feet wide and 15 feet long, for a shrub or evergreen hedge. Hibiscus would give you choices for flower color or evergreens like Juniper 'Witchita Blue' would add a silver grey to the yard. Inside the semi-circle would be space for a small circle of perennials and/or annuals. A border of brick, laid side by side would keep the lawn looking neat. Now take the hose and start at the end of the hedgerow (nearest the fence) and make a large pond shape that moves to the left, avoids the trees, and ends at the left side of the patio. This is the new lawn shape. Any areas outside the lawn are for shrubs and border plants. Inside this new lawn space there's room for a patio extension. If the patio is concrete, you might consider continuing that material and then staining it all to match. A rounded shape would work well here. A 3 foot wide by 5 feet long cutout at the patio edge will leave room for a drift of low plantings. Gotta go now. Good luck with your project! -Ted Kmiecik

Do check out the irrigation system -- it would make more sense to irrigate the top of the slope and leave the bottom to live on runoff. I do that with several of my beds on our very sloped property (not only front to back, but side to side!) and it works quite well. I watered in everything once a week for the first few months, and after that let the lower beds survive on their own. They have thrived, even through the recent 2-week heat wave. I did improve the soil in most beds,and I have found that the beds I did NOT do this, the plants have not done as well. The clay has been exhaused by trees, weeds and unwanted shrubs for decades, and is no longer good quality soil unless very heavily amended. Replacement was actually easier than amending, BTW. I mulch heavily. I water (mostly soaker hoses, some hand watering) once every 2-3 weeks. If it's extremely, viciously hot, then once a week. Most of my beds are partial shade beds and it is surprising how much will grow in CA under these conditions. Our light is so bright that even under trees (or at least at the edges of the canopy) one can grow all kinds of things. And you're in a warmer zone than I am; I have had some trouble with winter chill damaging some frost-tender plants. I'm way north of you in the SF Bay Area, but in our sloped and rather shady backyard (a huge walnut and an enthusiastic silver maple that threatens to engulf fully half our large backyard), we still get enough bright shade overall to grow a surprising number of plants that are supposedly full sun. These include: -erysimum -canna -oleander -helichrysum -senecio -lantana -Meyer lemon -variegated euonymus -pelargoniums -shrub roses, rugosas, and miniature roses -New Zealand flax (phormium) I even got snapdragons to flower and return in one of the shadiest spots right at the foot of the silver maple. Although it probably helped to have a soaker hose in the bed -- the maple sucks up so much water that even weeds won't grow next to it. And of course, star jasmine grows like a weed, but it needs so much room I'm thinking of taking both of mine out. They are really uncontrollable! I'm not big on natives. They're nice, but spend half the year dormant or ratty. I want flowers, interesting foliage, and variety - all year round, even in January. OK, I'm a cottage gardener, I admit, LOL. Anyway, here's some pix of our backyard, and also the narrow north-facing sideyard, which is divided into two parts: the top half irrigated with soaker, the bottom lives on runoff. Looking upwards towards the house from the very bottom of our lot, from the backyard. Walnut to the right, silver maple dead ahead. Date: May 2006 for these pix Looking sideways at the bed around the walnut, towards my neighbor's yard Looking at the bottom of that bed, with the fence marking our lot boundary on your RH side. This side gets east-facing sun for about three hours before the walnut shades it all. Now the north-facing side yard: Top (Front) of the bed looking downwards - this is irrigated with soaker hose. The 'Emperor One' Japanese maple is a new variety and vastly superior to the old 'Bloodgood'. It grows in sun or shade; even windy conditions don't bother it. The bottom of the top bed, looking upwards (reverse of the photo above) The lower bed that lives on runoff. Contains star jasmine growing up a pillar, variegated aucuba, hellebores, bearded iris, liriope, and ferns.

Yardvaark, thanks for your response! I have taken one other photo. I just realized you asked fur several pics! Let me know if this is any help. By the way, our yard is south west facing. It gets plenty sun after 1 pm except for a portion directly next to the garage due to its shadow.

What type of water issue? I agree that with the general idea stumps don’t need to be removed and the slope can be planted with a groundcover or solidly rooted perennials and shrubs or trees and mulched. Keep a close eye on water until plants are established. If you want to reduce the slope with a stone wall, do that first. Not enough room there for standard bald cypress which can get to 70’ tall x 45’ wide, and without information on where you are, any specific plant suggestions are a bit premature. Give us a bit more of your goals such as year round vs. deciduous screening, how much work you are willing or able to do, and both your general location and your growing zone, and we can add more info. Are deer an issue for you?