Hi, we just moved into a new-build house. The backyard is roughly 50ft wide by 40ft deep. Our house faces west, and our house is a fairly tall 2-storey home. So our backyard is sunny all morning then is shadowed by the house by the end of the day. Along the back of our house we have a large patio door and a window from our great room. We really want to install a deck, some kind of screened-in gazebo structure (mosquitoes are bad at night), add a 8x12ft shed, and four 4x4ft raised bed vegetable planters. We don't want the gazebo attached or adjacent to the house because it would block light into our windows. We've put together a plan (see attached drawing) and I'm hoping to get some advice from the houzz community. We've essentially put all the main structures along the north fenceline and I'm worried that the space may not look "balanced". What do you think? Any advice?? Thanks in advance! Jen

I think you could easily get a table with 2 chairs back there, or two lounge/Adirondack chairs with a fire bowl. Ikea has some very inexpensive patio options. I agree with handmethathammer that some planters with brightly colored flowers and maybe some herbs if you're a cook would have a huge impact. Get a couple of fairly sizable planters of different heights. Estate sales and thrift stores often have good prices on these. If you get big ones you can put styrofoam in the bottom below the likely root depth to keep the weight and the cost of soil down. Make sure you get plants of varying height (google "thriller, filler, spiller" for an easy rule of thumb) and your local garden store can point you to some plants that do well in your climate. I don't mind the color of the fence--it doesn't look particularly red in the picture. I think it would look great with some wall planters on it with, again, some brightly colored annuals.

Those actually look like snap-togther decking tiles (seen here). These are not intended to be set on grade (or bare soil) but rather as a permeable covering for an older deck or patio surface. LIke any wood product they will rot, collect moisture and discolor when in direct contact with the ground. I'd agree with Yard about removing them and then using a more durable surface - it could be concrete as suggested but could just as well be gravel or manufactured pavers, properly set on a prepared level surface.

I don't think you have enough room on the side of your house for a fire pit. This Houzz ARTICLE recommends a 12-14 ft diameter from the center of a fire pit. That's 6 ft minimum from the center of the fire pit. Plus, I doubt your neighbors would appreciate the proximity to their house, and you could be violating city code. Much better to put the fire pit closer to the center of your yard. I did a mockup of what this might look like. You can still place a patio on the right side of your house with seating. And, instead of building a pergola, consider a shade sail that attaches to the fascia of the gable and then to a pole at the edge of the deck.