

A few things I'd suggest: deciduous trees on the south will always give you direct light and appreciable solar gain in the winters while coniferous to the north will shelter your home. I found the size of my yard a little daunting at first but when I visualized it as distinct areas (like rooms) I soon began to see how I could design effectively and create functional walking and seating areas and nice views. The first thing I did though, was to replace the fence. I worked hard over many years to downsize the amount of grass drastically and I 'worked' with the spruce rather than fighting it in my design plans. Your yard looks quite a bit like mine did when I moved in - 30 years ago! Mine is south-facing, had (still has-only three times bigger now) a mature spruce in the centre of it.
