Here is a drawing of the landscape of my garden.
 

LEGEND:
 

1. log home 2. driveway 3. garden house 4. balcony 5. stone bar-b-cue 6. old wooden natural fence 7. sturdy wooden brown fence

8.   hedge 9.   stairs to lower ground 10. pond 11. bench 12. huge poplar 13. flat stone walkway 14. lamp 15. passage to street

 

THE LAND HAS BEEN DIVIDED INTO FOUR AREAS:

The entrance area is the front of the house and the driveway. The goal is to make it inviting. The huge poplar, hedge and 2 lilacs give the entire area shade and privacy. The verandah offers shelter from rain to visitors until the door is opened. The flower boxes and hanging pots add a splash of color. We were happy the day we replaced the square cement tiles with irregular shaped flat stones.

The back lefthand corner at the end of the driveway is the utility corner. The garden house is filled to capacity with gardening and snow removal equipment as well as a multitude of toys and camping gear. Hidden between it and the hedge are the compost bin, kiddy pool (when not in use) and the soccer goal (hideously homemade).

The back of the house is now my private spot. It used to be kiddy land with a sand box, pirate ship and pool. Now it is my sanctuary. There is a pond with a small water fall, three chairs with a log as table under the shade of a huge apple tree. The fence, hedge and trees offer privacy. The balcony is high enough to catch a breeze if any.

The area on the right side of the house is lower ground compared to the rest of the property. This is our botanical garden... and also the sports area. I know, they don't go together. You don't have to tell me. Many plants get stepped on or whacked by a ball or racket. They get even by snatching badminton birds and balls of all kinds and NEVER returning them. One day I expect to start losing players...