We may have our wires crossed due to my post not being clear. I didn't sod, I seeded. The sand I used was a washed clean medium coarse sand. If you take my suggestion and go with sod, a half inch of sand/compost mix for a 5000 sq ft area will cost about $300 (should be enough to level the yard and cover the stone and clay). 5000sq ft of high quality KBG sod will cost about $950. Landscapers commonly charge double the cost of material for labor. So, for about $3000 you'll have a beautiful lawn and all you had to do is write a check. (get some estimates) I ended up seeding myself and although cheaper than hiring someone to sod, it is a "back breaking' route. Not sure if this is what you want, but if you want to read it, here goes: After 2 prior dismal attempts and a lot of fruitless trial and error, I decided I needed to get serious about the process and read everything I could find about yard renovation and started from scratch. Mid August I sprayed the lawn with Ortho, then: I waited until the last week of August. 2. I scalped the lawn, killing off what little was there. 3. I removed all of the large rocks and filled the holes with bags of top soil. I didn't do much about the smaller stones as that just didn't seem very feasable. 4. I watered heavily (to soften the ground up)and the next day I aerated with the goal of having the holes no more than 3-4" apart. (took about 4 hours) 5. In approximately equal parts, I mixed sand, (was looking for a clean washed medium sand and settled on mortar sand -- some places label it as play sand) sphagnum, and compost in a pull cart and hand spread it with a shovel. (it didn't take long to realize this was going to be a heck of a lot of work and material) Fortunately, I had started with the front lawn (about 3500 sq ft) and although my goal was to get at least an 1" cover down, it was probaly closer to 1/4". The backyard (about 4500 sq ft), I gave up on the sand and just used some compost and peat mix and put it on very thin (cost and my back were killing me by this time) Took 2 days to do. 6. I made a drag out of chain link fence and pulled it over and over until the hard clay pugs broke up pretty well and the yard looked pretty smooth. (most of a day to do) 7. Next day I sowed 50 lbs of KBG seed. (25# Midnite and 25# of a mix of 6 improved cultivars) Rented a spot seeder/verticutter/slit seeder (whatever people want to call it) and set it to cut about 1/4 in. deep. Went over the yard twice in two directions 45 degreees to one another. (started in the morning about 10 a.m. after picking up the slitter and finished at dusk) 8. Next day. Put down a starter fertilizer 15-24-10. covered the whole lawn with a thin dusting of very dry sphagnum. (I've never gotten dirtier--tricky stuff but really helped hold moisture during the watering process) 9. Used tripod sprinklers to water 3 times a day until yard was moist. Soon discovered it was a pain to keep moving the sprinlers so I bought six of the spike type and 300 foot of hose with turn off attachments and daisy chained to I could water in zones. (plus, wife was doing the noon watering and she had trouble moving and readjusting the tripod ones) Took almost 4 weeks of watering before most of the seed germinated. (water bill that month paid for most of the cost of the municipality's water system) 10.By the beginning of October, the front yard looked pretty good and the back yard was so-so but better than what it was. Aerated the next spring and overseeded (3# of KBG impoved mix per 1k sq ft), did reseeding of the larger bare patches in back yard, ran the slitter over it again (bought one) in just one direction, and put down starter fertilizer. Aerated and overseeded with a pound of KBG per 1k sq ft again last fall. I left out some of the fertilization and other amendments I've done since the grass germinated that first fall. Most people would be happy with the back yard and the front yard looks very good. BUT it cost over $1k in materials, rentals and water plus a week of vacation and a lot of back breaking work. Although I can say "I did it myself" and that there is a lot of satisfaction in that, considering all the work and money, if I had it to do over, I would pay someone to level it with a clean medium sand/compost mix and lay KBG sod. I'll try to post some pics if I can. I'd be interested in knowing what you do and how it works out.

What people can get here mostly is suggestions and inspiration. You are providing "inspiration" pictures so have some idea of what you want. It's a matter of organizing it on a 2-D plan. Your choices there are that, either you do it ... or you hire a professional landscape designer to do it. If you do it, you can get counsel here and the first bit you already got was to provide a plan view sketch of the area. (One would have a very hard time trying to convey the information you seek, back to you on the pictures provided so far.) Many people get inspiration for planting via pictures (that are taken square to the building and show the flanking surroundings in slightly overlapping pictures.) But it is too early to bother with planting, since you need hardscape and it must be resolved first, before you start working on a planting layout.

I think if you paint you’re setting yourself up for maintenance. Embrace them - you’re in Arizona & they‘re everywhere! Once you add things to look at, you’ll stop seeing the wall. Looks like rock on ground all around fence so maybe inground planting not an easy option. You could invest in huge & decorative pots, place strategically & fill them with permanent type colorful plantings. It‘d be good if you’re able to install some kind of drip system to provide summer water - even one you hook up to a hose that waters all at once & on timer for low maintenance. Maybe also keep your eye out for wall art to hang which would add another dimension of color & design.

I like it! I've also always liked the look of natural wood fence, but when I had a tall long fence installed a couple years ago we went with a dark brown color and I've been pleasantly surprised how it seems to recede into the background more and disappear. It makes the space feel larger also. I think you will like it :)