Wow, thanks to each of you for sharing your thoughts - I feel like a kid on Christmas seeing so many responses! Before I start addressing all comments, I want to note the "secret garden" I forgot to mention in my original post. Right now it's just a heavily shaded area in the back corner (SE) of the yard enclosed by major overgrowth accessed by a gate from inside the dog pen. I'm not sure how shaded it would be if we were to seriously get after the privet/junk hedge jungle, but I thought I would mention it in case any of you have brilliant ideas for it as I think it could be a really special little area. No grass, some purple flowering ground cover, a scraggly old tree with a thick L shaped branch (would be a great climber). Now on to business. I'll start by topic, & try to answer any questions. The privet hedge: Frankly, it scares me. I've been pretending it doesn't exist for the past 2.5 years but it's time to start facing it. Ideally, I would love to replace it but it's just not in the budget so I suppose we will try to cut it back and clean it up (per Yardvaark & Whitecap2's instructions - lower cuts, full-on weed war). As unsightly as it is, it does provide invaluable privacy and effectively blocks out the houses behind us. Yes, our nice neighbor to the east just had the stretch between us heavily cut back but the weed eradication remains our problem to tackle - yikes... Possible future addition: This is really just a dream at this point but I want to avoid extensive or large planting in the area in case my dream does one day come true. The new wing would ideally extend south & a bit east as shown in blue in the pic below. I've probably made it a little over sized but that should give you an idea. Afternoon shade: The carport wing of the house does cast shade starting at about 2:00 or so in the summer. It takes a while to extend much further than the bed but eventually about 1/3 of the lawn becomes shaded. Yardvaark, I like the a/c screen & tree placement suggestions. And thank your for explaining the major down to minor (tall to short) planning method. Such a basic concept but one I'd never thought about before, with this being my first from-scratch landscaping project. I will definitely return with a plan for you all to review before starting any work. This forum is such an incredible resource & I am so grateful to each of you for sharing your knowledge! Whitecap2, the small covered porch (8'x18') is up against the house & steps down to the exposed patio. I have marked it in green in the pic below. I had no idea hedges were passe ("so 60's"); I think they can be quite lovely when not grotesquely overgrown like ours! Catkim, I adore the idea of a courtyard - so very charming. Beds along the hedge also sound very nice. And that link to the children's garden - how adorable! This would be a great time to start something like that as my little girl is now 16 months. Mad_gallica, the dog run does eat up almost all of the existing shade but I'm afraid most of that shade is created by the junk growing in the privet hedge. If we were to clean up the hedge, I don't know how much shade would remain in that area. Regardless, the pen & dog house have to go. Bahia, I'm ordering my own copy of the Southern Living Garden Book today. Thank you so much for the suggestion. I'm shocked my green thumbed mother & grandmother had not mentioned this book to me! Unfortunately, the sewer line is the original clay pipe. Depending on the type of design we settle on, it may be something we need to address before any landscaping begins. Whitecap2, yes; lots of high maintenance, sun-drenched, thirsty grass. We purchased the house from the elderly widow of the original owner/builder who we have discovered made many odd decisions. But that's another story entirely. Bahia, the carport does provide late afternoon shade, perhaps to about 1/3 of the back yard. As mentioned above, the turf is high maintenance. We have recently been working on the weeds more aggressively but the past 2 summers it required mowing every 5-7 days & lots of supplemental watering. I love the idea of adding another shaded terrace further out in the yard. I will definitely give this more thought. Catkim, thank you so much for your comments on pergola placement. I have toyed with the idea of a pretty vine covered pergola in the past but never would have thought to place it further out to cast the properly desired shade. Thank you for keeping me from making a big mistake! Whitecap2, visually I would prefer a patio over a deck in our situation. But I agree, anything would be more usable & less maintenance than our wide open grass field! You totally nailed my sentiment toward our current backyard: "It just seems to me regrettable that so large a space should be usable for such a short duration." We want to get outside & play! Bahia, I wish we did have sufficient summer rainfall but Memphis tends to get hot & dry, irrigation systems being a must have for any well landscaped yard. Regarding our outdoor habits, they are definitely evolving as our child grows. A year ago I probably would not have sought a space for midday/afternoon play but now it is a real priority. As this is our first child, I'm not sure what to expect in terms of future needs but everything you mentioned ("play equipment set, lawn area for ball games or running around, a secret garden or play house? Sited to be easily viewable/supervised by parents from indoors, etc.") sound like great ideas. Any additional advice for planing with a child in mind would be wonderful! Whitecap2, you are again right on. The lawn has not been overly happy even with all the attention we give it. I think the spots in the pictures are probably a result of the professional monthly spraying we started at the end of 2011. Yardvaark, I'm not sure how much more patio space we would want. I think it would definitely be a budgetary decision. The current patio is yucky pebble concrete & I wouldn't even know how to go about expanding it. I certainly wouldn't want any more of the pebble stuff. Would the whole thing have to be ripped up or could some kind of stone be laid on top and extended further out? I hope I touched on everything. Again, thank you so much for all your help. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it! Possible future addition (blue) & current covered patio (green):

A blank canvas to play with! What fun! And the wonderful thing about gardening is that if you decide you don't like something or it's not doing well in one spot you can remove or move it very easily (except for major trees). So you can't really make a mistake. It's a very forgiving process AND so rewarding. I recently began my own garden too and was very timid at first, but as my confidence grows and I become more familiar with plants, so does my willingness to make bolder and more interesting choices. Looks like a good plan. Kind of a native wildscape to attract some desirable critters. I like all the bird and butterfly-friendly choices. And just another option that I've found is a favorite of birds is a mulberry tree (which gets to be about the size of a possumhaw (10-15 ft.). Also delicious on icecream and cereal! Also think your choices of very easily maintained xeriscaping is just great! I can't tell whether you are going to place things individually or will create an actual bed with some kind of edge to contain them. Some thoughts/ideas: Consider that Possumhaw is very similar to Yaupon Holly and both provide red/orange berries, with the main difference being that Possumhaw will lose its leaves (but maintain it's berries) over winter whereas the Yaupon would be evergreen. You may have already known that and prefer the Possumhaw, but just thought I'd mention the evergreen option as well. Either way, make sure it isn't shaded out by the larger tree, because they enjoy the sun. Have you considered any tall native grasses as a backdrop for flowers? They soften the hard edges of a yard. Also, another thing that not only attracts but keeps critters around is some kind of water feature. Doesn't have to be as fancy as a fountain (although that sound is divine and birds prefer it to stagnant water), but at least a birdbath in a somewhat shady area. The easiest fountain to maintain is a bubble fountain that overflows its container and then disappears below ground (covered usually with a grate on which sits gravel or river stones to act as a leaf/debris filter) into a reservoir and then recycles back up. Would it be possible to introduce a good sized stone/boulder or two? If you create a bed under a tree you might consider adding some turks cap for the hummers, or introduce some pigeonberry or other shade loving groundcover. If the patio is not shaded then you might also consider creating a place to sit beneath the tree that is cool and inviting or eventually a hammock chair or swing to hang from a branch. Speaking of trees, what considerations played into your choice of Ash? Just curious. Did you want a deciduos or evergreen tree? What size, color, type? Anyway, those are just some things that came to me. Our gardens can be our sanctuary (as well as a critter haven). A little piece of heaven on earth. Hope you'll keep us up on your progress and choices as you go along. And maybe some...

recent transplants need proper watering.. until they are fully established ... but not knowing where you are.. who knows how long that is ... see link for such but one thing for sure.. they are not children ... and they most likely.. NEVER need to be fed.... nor diapered.. nor educated.. etc .. and if they are within a few feet of a fert'd lawn.. they will eventually get whatever they need .. i am surprised a 'gardener' couldnt have told you that.. i suspect you hired a day laborer ... another lost job for a landscaper ..... ken https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

Just get straight glyphosate - it doesn't have to be RoundUp specifically and there are less expensive brands of this herbicide on the market (Ferti-lome sells a product called Killzall that is less than half the price of the equivalent concentration and size of RoundUp). If you do go with the RoundUp, just select the Weed and Grass Killer - no need for any other additions to the mix. As I noted previously, you may very well need several applications and it is suggested to allow at least 2 weeks after the last treatment before reseeding. And it is too early to reseed - too hot and too dry for most northern, cool season grasses to germinate well. Generally, the ideal time for fall seeding is early fall - September to early October, depending on your specific climate. And any cool season turf grass blend recommended for your area is fine. Most independent garden centers - not the box stores - will have blends that are appropriate for your area.