It's too small to read the labels, but this is an example of a bubble diagram used to plan the locations of various landscape elements. I'm showing screening at the back fenceline and corners, veggies relocated to the west end, berries relocated to the east end, a shrub planting to screen the veggies somewhat from the patio, and a flower border area in front of the screen plantings. I also thought a stepping stone path in groundcover leading from the play area to the front yard would be easier than having to mow a small isolated area.

Take accurate measurements of your back yard and the locations of anything that has to stay, like the patio. Play with the bubbles to figure out where each area with a different use would work. Veggies need sun, and kids need to play where you can easily watch them from the kitchen window. Place your pretty stuff like a flower border where you can enjoy them from the patio and see them from the windows you are likely to look out of, like the kitchen, dining nook, etc.

{{gwi:41672}}

I think you could use a shade tree to block the afternoon sun, probably in the area where the play area is now. Can you relocate the play area to the east end? Will the veggies get enough sun on the west end, or is the location where it is now the sunniest spot? Don't forget to include an area for things like compost pile, trash cans, outdoor storage, etc. that is screened from view. A shrub border makes a good screen.

Once you have the best location for each area pinned down, you can start thinking about the size and shape of each area. How much space do the kids need? Measure their stuff and see how it will fit with the sandbox. You want to be able to cover it if there are cats wandering the neighborhood so they don't use it for a litterbox.

How big a veggie garden do you need? Be realistic about how much time you have to water and weed. Same goes for any flower plantings. If you're busy with the kids, stick to shrubs and a couple of large clumps of easy care perennials, or you'll end up with an eyesore instead of an asset.

Observe how much shade your house casts when siting the veggies and berries. I didn't indicate it on my doodle, but include a simple border of mixed shrubs around the patio to create a sense of enclosure. Keep them short if you want to look out over the yard, taller if you want it to feel like a private area. Remember you'll be sitting on the patio, so they don't need to be very tall.

Plan the shapes of any plantings with mowing in mind. You don't want to be left with any odd shaped or skinny bits that are difficult to access with a mower.

Don't even think about plant selection until all of the above is done.

Right now, the little beds along the fenceline are skimpy, and the outline of stones is more of a distraction than anything else. I bet they're a pain to trim around too. I'd remove them altogether.

The trees could possibly be relocated to the back lot line to add some privacy, but determine how tall a tree or shrub will need to be first to block your neighbors' view of your backyard. Does the whole yard need screening, or only the patio?

I'm sure I've left something out that will come to me later.

Move all your kid's stuff to a central mulched area of your yard, maybe a big rectangle (or oval).

Then continue your landscaping around the perimeter of your fence, with the majority of your efforts at the far end of your yard.

I have the same thought, play and plants need to be kept apart. If you want the play right by the house, to facilitate access and supervision then you mostly have the right layout already.

Wow,
Just in case you don't hear it enough I just wanted to say...Saypoint your generosity and talent blow me away. kt

Thanks, kt, but this is information that can be found in most landscape design books, and many websites.

I should have mentioned, note the locations of anything like septic system and leaching field, buried or overhead utilities, etc. that will affect where you can plant or how tall things can be (in the case of overhead wires).

Try the forum "Gardening with kids"

Here is a link that might be useful: Gardening with kids

And--until you can get a good-sized tree going--you might want to look into some sort of shade sail. I've linked one site below--but there are LOTS of manufacturers.

melanie

Here is a link that might be useful: Shade Sails

Michelle, is it possible to pull out the plan you already had drawn up but no longer meets your needs? I wonder if it can be adapted. I found the most valuable thing from my own plan is that it reveals the "shape of how things should be". The planting scheme is very secondary--it can always be changed out to meet new needs. For instance, say you have an amoeba shaped lawn in the plan--this would still service the kids, and give you a direction of what other space is there to fill.

My kids are now 7, 8, and 9 (yours appear much younger, maybe 1-3?).

I can tell you as the kids grow older open space is increasingly important. They need a place to throw a ball with their friends or do a string of cartwheels. It would be good to preserve that if you can.

I'm not too sure you can have 'kid-friendly' and 'fruitful' too close to each other. The yellow jackets can be extremely aggressive when almost any fruit smells ripe to them.

Thank you all for your help! Saturday night we went over to a friend's house and I love their yard. Very kid-friendly, but also areas for veggies and fruits. We had him come over and help us with some ideas too. Between the ideas we got on here and the help he gave us with the shape of the yard, etc. we finally have a plan we like and can start implementing in stages.
We are going to have the kids area (sandbox & playhouse) up by the house. That is the only area that gets any shade, and with these 100 degree days, well we need a shaded area for the boys to play in. We will move all the berries to the far east end of the yard, all together. We will build another planter box along that side for them. That will put the yellowjackets far away!
He helped draw out a yard shape, kind of looks like a golf course green, and I like it. It will still leave most of the area lawn, which we wanted for as the kids grow so they can have space to run. But what it will help with is drawing everything together, making it look less fragmented. We now are just trying to decide what to use for the border between grass and the other areas: concrete curbing, pavers, etc.
Thank you so much for all of your input. Thank you saypoint for the drawing you took the time to make.
I would still love to see some pictures of other people's backyards, so if anyone has any, please post a link. I'm very visual. I do much better to say, do it like this person did, instead of creating my own ideas!

The yellowjackets will also like ripe apples. I don't know about peaches, having never had one, but my experience with apple trees is that the fruit has to be carefully tended and picked up. Winddrops will attract yellowjackets as badly as anything, and if the fruit is at all rotted, the yellowjackets will be drunk and unpredictable.

(imagining a drunk yellow jacket)

you haven't lived until you've seen a drunk butterfly....