One important thing is to not damamge the root system of the oaks.

If the oaks are important to you, get an arborist to help you plan the project.

I would look into different types of ornamental grasses. They have them from a few inches tall to six or more feet tall. Most of them don’t call for a lot of water. They come in colors like reds, purples, greens, yellows and even black. With oaks, you should have quite a bit of shade under them. That is where you should plant your flowers. Try planting whatever is indigenous to your area. It will take a lot less watering.

You could put in some retaining walls, but this can be very expensive. Most important thing would be to stop the soil erosion.

Increase the value by making the garden look like a cool place to relax on a hot day (this is always inviting in a hot climate).

Draw up bed areas, and use shrubs, preferably in two or three layers. Shrubs are hardier in drought (deeper roots). Put high shrubs at the back, medium in the middle and low or ground covering ones at the front.

Use dense plantings, nothing looks more ‘cheap and nasty’ than an odd plant and then soil or gravel. Also use different leaf sizes, shapes and shades of green or variegation.

If you don’t want to go to the trouble of building retaining walls definitely use the junipers as a ground cover they are neat evergreen and drought tolerant when established.

If you want a neat expensive look use different levels of hedging or use a well shaped pruned plant mixed amoung the plantings. Don’t go overboard on lots of colours unless you decide on a cottage garden look, this can look very old fashioned. Go for just a few colours if you want a sophisticated look eg white, pink and blue. An all white flowering can look very nice particularly if your garden is very shaded by the oaks.

Hope this helps, a lot depends on personal taste. Why not go around your neighbourhood and take notes on what you like about different gardens. When you sit down and look at your notes later you will probably find a pattern and you can then implement this in you own garden.

It sounds to me you are going to take pride in your yard.
A good stand of grass, once started will be the key, make sure you keep it up, fertilizer, weed killers, etc. The oak trees are the problem, hard to start normal grass in shade, make sure you purchase the type of seed meant for shade.
Make sure you have good down spouts.
A nice small fountain, would set you apart from the neighbors.

First of all a good rule of thumb is that landscaping will cost (to do it right and professionally) 20% of the cost of your home. This includes an irrigation system. Speaking of which you’d do well to have your shrub beds on a different zone than your lawn! Depending on what you refurbish first, you’ll be using more water at different times of the year in the two different areas.

As for landscape materials, consider a retaining wall border to both hold the soil and level out your shrub area. This will also prevent further erosion and add some interesting texture to your “streetscape.” A small yard does better with a mass planting of the same material. If your lawn is divided, consider balance on either side of your front door. If one side has a larger window, consider one specimen plant or tree. Also, never stop at the exact corners of your home. Rather, wrap around the corner to both soften the sharp edge of the house and add the illusion that your home and lot are larger than they are.

I would add a hammock between the two oak trees, purchase a barbque, and pocket the rest for steaks.

Well Serena, it really depend on what you intend to do with it. I have a Courtyard you walk through when you walk to my front doors and there are lava rock beds on either side of you and then I built a beautiful pond in the shape of a butterfly, with lights under the water and larger rocks around the pool, and of course beautiful shrubs as we are so famous for our beauty here in New Orleans, La. The courtyard is also trimmed from above with lighting in the eves, and a long chain swing hangs beneath the front porch for added Southern Comfort. This has been estimated to increase my home by approx. $20,000.00.

I agree with the previous posters. If your just putting ground covers in for less mowing time thats a bad idea. Maybe think about putting in low maintenance plants like hostas, daylilies and maybe some shrubs around the front of your houses foundation if you have nothing at all done? Landscaping adds alot of value to your house and its a good first impression of your home. I would definitely add more to the front versus the back. I am an avid gardener i will admit I am outside everyday the weather permits and have about 2000 plants in my front yard. I love gardening so I dont mind the maintenance. In my backyard I have about 30 rose bushes along the back of my houses foundation so not near as much ( yes people like more room in the backyard if they have a small one, I dont just havent got to do so much back there yet) When I moved in to my house there was absolutely nothing done to the front yard. Now I always have people commenting on how I transformed a plain house into the best one on my street and the only thing that has been changed is the landscaping. So try some color. Hostas and daylilies are extremely easy and require hardly any care.I think you’ll be surprised at what a difference it will make. and if you really want the professional look some kind of retaining block is a must. no matter how much $ you put into your landscaping, im sure you will get it back if you ever sell.

Area sloped down towards sidewalk.To help what dirt you have from washing away put flower beds along sidewalk on your side.I use those lawn timbers for mine.Get a load of sod and lay thay down.It wont wash away as if you put dirt and seed.Thats a waste of money on sloped land.Put flowers not needing alot of water,cacti family. Dont annuals they dont come back another waste of money.Get dacor grasses and butterfly bushes,thats for the monarch comeing thru.Ask at garden center wahts best.

regardless of where you live i would suggest you plant shrubs, vines, small trees, and of course plant some flowering plants which you think are attractive to you and to your neighbors