Please post your photos directly here. (It's too much bother to go back and forth to look at them. To do it, go to where the picture is on photobucket. Click on "share". Click on the tab, "Get link code." Highlight the code for the "full size picture" use control C to copy it. Return to where you are composing the message and use control V to paste the code into the message. The picture will show up when you preview. (If it doesn't, go back and look around for the correct code.)

Here we go... I need something to distract me.

But Marklm, you should maybe tell us what kind of climate you are in and if you have any expectations at all of what this space will do for you? Who will be seeing it - neighbours? And is that a lane or your driveway beside it?

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sorry. im in southern illinois climate. hot summer, cold winter, all four season. to the left of that picture is my driveway. neighbors see it. looking for something cost effective and nice. thanks for the help.

help please?

This kind of a blank slate question is difficult because 30 different people would give you 30 different answers depending on what kind of gardening they like.

You could remove all the grass or leave an outside strip. You could make a stone or brick or wood retaining wall or edging to give the area some definition and to level it. You could choose tall plants like specialty conifers that require very little work other than weeding the beds (and you will have weeds!) or you could do clematises if you put trellises on the side of the garage. They look like heck in winter though. You could grow vegetables.

You could also just paint the garage a nice colour and keep mowing the grass... from a workload and off-season appearance standpoint, you don't know what you've got till it's gone! You could just hang a series of baskets from the garage for the summer (will need water though).

If I were you I would start wandering around local nurseries and see what kinds of plants you like. That might give you some sense of direction as to what you want to grow.

Karin L

here's 1/30 of your answers. I suggest keeping it simple (big surprise)... just a couple of lilacs and a bed of peonies below. I presume these grow in S. Ill. (I'm from northern Ill.) and am trying to suggest something that is commonly available. Where I'm from, people just get these plants from others. They're as common as dirt. But everyone also loves them. If not, find something similar that will work in your area. Ferns are used in a lot of places for a mass groundcover.
Lilacs or shrub-trees like them would not get too big. Their trunk structure silhouetted against the expanse of wall would turn it from plain to detailed.

As I look again at my picture before posting, I think I'd tighten up the lilacs a little and move them closer together...about so that the wall appeared divided into thirds by them.

The illustration below the plan shows how to prepare the trench edge of a landscape bed.

You'd need to kill the grass first. Round-up is the easiest way. And prepare the edge of the bed with a trench edge. One week later, plant and mulch. Keep weeds out. This may take some effort until the groundcover establishes thick.

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By yardvaark at 2012-03-28

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By yardvaark at 2012-03-26

If I've learned one thing about designing things, it is knowing how the area in question relates to the adjoining pieces. Can you draw a rough sketch up?

Continuing to store your trash there is an option but obviously you want more. Can you expand on options of what things you may have considered. Yard is right, way too many options. I've got ideas of what I would do, but instead of you nixing the ideas, your wishes need to be expressed.

Are you looking for function? What kind of function? Function and pretty? How pretty? You indicated a budget. Do you have a range you'd like to keep it?