Summary: When planning and designing outdoor living areas there are various items beyond plants and the landscaping which go must be considered. Have you considered the sun?
As a part of garden planning, designing and laying out an outdoor living area or space, you will want to consider privacy, shelter from sun and wind, convenience to the house, and the view. Consideration of shade will be tied to the time of day the area is most in use. And don’t forget the sky; in some cities this can be a precious commodity. If there is an opening between buildings where the sunset can be seen as a panel, try not to design outdoor living spaces so that you turn your back on it. You may even want to frame your panel of sky with planting.
If you are using a paper model to get some ideas on design of the space to the backyard landscape, cut out a piece of the gray or tan paper to represent the outdoor living area and place it in the area it will cover. You may like to estimate the size of the area with your eye and scale it afterwards, or you may like to decide on the size first and cut the paper to scale. Locate the other areas the same way such as a play area. Locate the walkway, etc.
By doing this, the rest of the landscape garden would be adjusted to them, and not vice-versa. The result of this priority of attention is not, as might at first appear, to make them dominant features of the plan, but rather, by placing them in functional positions, to prevent their intrusion into the picture you want to create.
