backyard

This weekend I've been thinking more about the back yard. This is the
configuration I've been working with in my mind for a few weeks now.
The red represents a high wall, the outside continuation of the living
room wall. The black wall is a low bench wall. Inside these walls
there would be a fountain or fireplace or chairs and or potted plants
or something. The area just outside the slider would be the arbor or
awning, etc. The round circle is for a small tree like a crepe myrtle
which grows well around here. The main mantra I keep telling myself is
"less grass." Besides being politically incorrect for using up water
and requiring resources, grass is not too much fun. So I'm probably
going to increase the side of the border (brown). The border is fun.
I've elevated it so we're constantly making little irrigation canals.
This is where we plant plants and I'm hoping when everything gets
bigger it will make some hiding places (Sean already has a couple). I
do want to keep some relatively wide-open area though so we can do
some simple sports things (like play frisbee). The 'less grass' thing
also informs the size of the hardscape. I'm realizing that hardscape
is actually more useful than grass. You can pogo stick on it and ride
bikes or barbecue where you can't do anything on grass really. I'm
trying to make the backyard look like a conventional backyard--patio,
grass, border--but I'm reducing the proportion of grass to its bare
minimum by expanding the other elements. You can see that I could
easily double the amount of grass in the back yard if I took out the
border and reduced the hardscape. Anyway, it's pretty simple.

Some things I haven't accounted for in this scheme. It would be nice
to have some place to put tools, but I figure I can do it on the side
of the garage or on the N side of the house which isn't used for
anything. Also, eventually the A/C compressor needs to go somewhere.
Not sure where.