Unintentional Assets
When planning yard work sometimes you have to evaluate what the previous owner left behind before you can move forward.  In our last house we scored big with a pile of granite blocks stacked up against the side of our house.  At first, we were a bit miffed that they didn't clean up after themselves as we had expected (they also had a dog who "used" the yard all winter and spring and they apparently felt no compulsion to pick that up either, so, in essence, we earned those blocks!) but then we found there were many uses for granite.  I used the blocks to edge a couple of gardens and with those left over we put in a "patio" where we  placed our outdoor table and chairs since we had no deck.

In our current home we were not the benefactors of granite, but there was an odd square patio by the sunroom made out of concrete pavers.  I'm not certain why they were there (I don't imagine they had a grill or other item on this makeshift patio), but once we picked them up I realized how lovely they would be as stepping stones in a gravel path especially as moss grows over them.

Above is a photo of just a section of the path from outside the sunroom.  Below you can see that it also wraps around a side garden (where the pavers used to be).  This area is heavily shaded but we planted a hosta, bleeding heart and cedar seedling (it was only 2 inches tall when I first brought it home from the woods) and I have room to add an astilbe or two.

The path was originally all asphalt and extended from the driveway, all around the back yard deck, and to the bulk head (I suspect there was a sale on asphalt when the house was built).  I wouldn't have thought to replace the asphalt until I envisioned the concrete pavers as stepping stones so it was lucky they were left behind.

Now we've discussed what you can do with stuff that is there, let's discuss what to do with stuff that isn't there.  The lack of privacy, fences, and grass can all be motivating factors in planning your yard.

For privacy, evergreen trees can be useful and also provide the benefits of a fence without the fence (two birds as it were).  We decided to close off the back yard fencing with real fencing as we had small children and a dog and didn't want to have to be on "high alert" all the time we spent outdoors.  Our dog has passed and our kids have grown, but I still like the fence as a mode of privacy and for creating an outdoor space that feels like a room.

Where the grass won't grow I've put in plants as discussed in earlier posts.  But I also started a memorial garden in the back where my dog spent a lot of time.  There is no grass in the area I've selected, so planning a garden there seems both functional and appropriate.  I'm taking my time moving shade tolerant plants to that section as I've planned to place my dog's ashes in the garden when it's completed and I'm in no hurry to part with them even though it's been a couple of years since he passed.  See below for heart tugging photo.