A nice big oak tree in the corner?

A pavilion where you can sit and relax in the hot summer, either with trellis or waterproof roof to use all year round. Nice bright furniture and cushions ... Try and make low maintenance, use composite decking or paving, rather than wood deck that needs oiling to keep looking good. You can make it beautiful

I'd think about things like gravel and pavers with mediterranean ground cover herbs like thyme, and specimen australian natives with winding paths between them to the veg bed and maybe a hidden trellised patio area. Natives should need minimal attention if you choose right (just an occasional trim), and meditteranean herbs should be well adapted to climate, and will grow happily between pavers (and smell awesome if you tread on them). I'd definitely cover the fence with something - again look for arid adapted vines who won't want a lot of water. Please don't concrete the whole lot though - it plays merry hell with the water cycle if lots of people do that. You can get water permeable membranes to go under gravel / pavers etc if you are worried about weeds.

I like the idea of painting the fence to bring some continuity. Training jasmine across it would be lovely too and they smell so sweet when they flower. Be sure to show some pics of what you decide!

Sorry, I meant that I didn't want to put in concrete or pavers because I don't want to do any extra landscaping. I agree, concrete jungle is awful and makes things too hot! I also don't like how all the images on houzz are concrete/paved yards. Sure it looks nice, but after a while it looks too symmetrical and I'd prefer a more natural backyard.
I like the idea of painting the fence, I actually had the same idea after posting.
I also like the idea of a few pavers, possibly stones, as a path to the veggie patch with Mediterranean herbs growing between them.

Sorry rishellz - my error re the pavers.
Why not consider a fine aggregate path that sets like concrete but is still porous if you want this path option. In Victoria we get Lillydale Toppings. I think that in SA you can use crusher dust which when wet and compacted will have the same effect. The herbs grow superbly in this product as it is alkaline and really well drained. The herbs that I refer to here are thyme, oregano etc which can be a weed if not maintained.
But you need to establish proper garden beds in order to put the plants in, otherwise the kikuyu grass will grow through the herbs and into the path. This in effect only increases your desire not to have maintenance.
As stated earlier, a well maintained garden is great for retail sale. A poorly done and badly maintained garden will have a strong negative influence of retail sale and needs considering at the outset of any proposed garden.
Alison

If you have no idea what to do with this space I would recommend you start at the beginning.

Draw up a list of what you would like in your garden. I can see that you are interested in growing your own fruit and vegetables but also think about space for entertaining family and friends, a place to relax in the shade or somewhere for kids to play.

Next you need to consider the conditions of the site e.g. where is it sunny/shady, wind, soil, rainfall, drainage and yes you are right to take into account the style of your house. A garden should always compliment the surrounding buildings.
Now you can work out how your wish list will work within the space given the site conditions.

A drawing will definitely help at this stage. The drawing can be as simple as a mud map on graph paper as long as it is to scale and will give you a clear direction for your garden.

I would encourage you to plan your space with pen and paper before beginning the physical works as a well planned garden can only add value to you property and in the long term can save you time and money.

Tracey

Do you think it would be worth getting a professional to design our garden? When we bought our house we had the intention of never moving again (so we bought big enough to accommodate for future children), so we're not thinking of immediate resale at the moment.
And with the professional just get a design drawn up so that we can work on it over a long period of time? This isn't something we absolutely must have done right now, so we can save up over time and slowly chip away. I feel like it's just the initial plan we need.

Pool with a swim-up bar and jet spa??

Brett, that would be the lotto dream!! But bloody good idea

I'd definitely consider talking to a professional if you aren't experienced in gardening / confident.

Definitely get a pro to design for you if you are struggling, or you can't find ideas. Try gardening books in your local library, they are often a bit less trendy, but do remember all outdoor areas require regular cleaning and maintenance - there is just no escaping it However if you can make it something really attractive with minimal maintenance by mulching gardens for example then you won't find maintaining it an onerous task. Avoid shrubs that need constant pruning, your local nursery should be able to advise you on low maintenance plants and keeping your garden looking as green as possible gives it a naturally cooling look.

For a large area like yours I like to look at dividing it up into "rooms". A pavilion or covered area as wuff suggested would be one room, put that beside an area for a children's playground, for swings and a cubby house (kids love cubbies and they are great for storing toys) so you can sit in comfort and watch them play. Allow for a shade cloth for the area to protect them or a shady tree. Keep a good sized area of grass free for ball games too. Another "room" would be your vegetable patch in raised beds to make for easier gardening - this would be good near your fruit trees to keep 'food' together. Place an arch way into that area to make it look more interesting. Then a room for flowering plants and a nice feature. A few strategically placed trees, no more than 4 metres high will also help keep your garden much cooler.

I know this photo will look far more than you are envisaging, but just look at how much cooler the greenery makes the area and how loved the area looks. This can be achieved with minimal maintenance by careful plant selection, and the use of lush ground covers and mulch.

[houzz=]

A blank canvas, you can do whatever you like here! Paint the rest of the fence grey. Plant matching shrubs along the fence, eg lillypilly, red robin (photinia). Push the garden edge on the left back in a bit, grow more grass there. A border of something low maintenance along the edges, eg spider lilies or agapanthus (if allowed in SA). Simple and low maintenance.

Hi. When you say "massive" how big is that - half acre, quarter acre, 800 sq m? Size does matter. As you are Adelaide, go shade, shade, shade. Also use as many native plants as possible - the birds will love you, especially if you put a couple of bird baths among shrubs and natives need lass water and care. May June after rain finally arrives is ideal planting time. Agree with Oldroo, divide into garden rooms to make manageable, but start with your shade trees as they take longest to get to good size. Fence off a veggie patch, even if you don't use it yet. Think about where your eyes will be drawn as you look out of windows. Make winding rather than straight paths to seperate areas. Get cheap plants by going to road side or garage sales or join a garden club. Even if you put in too many at first, they can come out later. Don't go for lawn as it'a a huge water investment, tho putting in drippers and timers will help enormously and cut down on work in Summer. However, near the house is a good place for a seating spot on pavers of some sort with a nice big Manchurian (get the spreading not conical one) in brick circle or something so you have shade and can put bulbs around the base. Yeah, get some books for inspiration. Good luck!

Actually here's a panorama view of the entire yard. I'm not entirely sure of the actual measurements. I've got an aloe vera plant in a pot, perhaps I could plant cuttings in the ground?

Its great that you were thinking long term when you bought the house. Your plans for the garden should also include your longer term needs (Landscape Designers call this Master Planning).

A professional designer can draw up a master plan for you based on your needs and you can then choose which areas of the garden you want to develop as funds become available. This process gives you the flexibility to chose what you would like to do yourself and also gives you the option of getting quotes off the plan for work that you may need some help with.

Its great that you have a blank slate to work with as previous owner's mistakes can often be expensive to fix or remove. Large backyards like this are becoming rare in Adelaide and you have an opportunity to create something wonderful.
Tracey

I'm a big fan of conifers if you want super low maintenance plants. Slow growing, offer no shade but green all year round, they tolerate hot weather with minimal to no watering.
If you get the right ones and space them appropriately you'll never have to trim them. We've had ours for 7 years and I've never touched them.
The yard looks like it's professionally maintained.

veggie patch then you can have seasonal salads

and if veggie patch in formation can also offer colour.

Start with painting the fence one colour such as grey. Then divide the area into zones. Adelaide has good climate for fruit and veggies so why not plant some almonds, peaches or nectarines which will all thrive in Adelaide. I would also line the fence with a row of citrus trees of different varieties. They are evergreen and pretty easy to maintain, they do like a feed once or twice a year of citrus food well watered in, but then nothing more required. Choose a summer and a winter cropping orange, lemons, limes and kaffir limes for the leaves. Whilst you are putting in food producing trees, put in a raised vegie garden and why not have a chook yard with some hens. You can grow a choko vine or passionfruit vine up the chook cage which will give the girls some shade. Feed them kitchen scraps and layer pellets and enjoy fresh eggs.
I would put this towards the back of the block and try to leave a bit of lawn for the children with may be a playhouse and swings and a slide and sand pit with a shady tree. You will want a quick grower such as a palownia or a bay magnolia. I would also suggest other kitchen plants to plant include the bay tree which will give you bay leaves for cooking, a rosemary hedge, and I would plant mint in a shady area and thyme in a sunny spot. Fig trees are easy to grow and would do well in Adelaide but the birds can spread them, also a pair of quince trees would be lovely as they have a lovely blossom in spring, colour well in autumn and give divine fruit to stew.
None of these are difficult to grow or maintain and all will provide you with a bounty of easy fresh produce throughout the year.

I agree to plant trees in the back yard around the fence line. This will give you privacy plus greenery. Yes you will have to water them till established, as nothing will grow unless you do. I have provided some photos to show you what we did with our backyard. It's low maintenance. It has grown since these photos were taken. One of the photos, shows Lillydale topping that Timandra Design above mentioned. It is great as it is easy for anyone to do themselves, doesn't cost much plus serves the purpose.I love it as I don't like concrete. Look up how to lay Lillydale topping. Your nursery should help you also. Easy. Trees don't need a lot of maintenance, but insure you get advise on what to grow. You don't want to end up with trees meant for farming screens that grow huge. Bunnings is a great spot for advice. Goodluck

Bunnings? Nah, find a real but local nursery, with folk who know your area, the type of soil you have (get a ph test) and who ask you how much time (or not) you want to spend on gardening jobs. Water systems for Summer - and autumn and spring come to think of it, are essential unless you have lots of time to be on the end of a hose. Plants are expensive investments in comfort, shade, food and birdlife etc, so need care and thought. Start listening to ABC garden radio, etc and don't be afraid to ask neighbours with nice gardens about what grows well. Good luck!

to sgelade, totally agree with you. I go to the local nursery as often as I can, rather than the big chains. I just wrote that as I wasn't thinking. Good pick up.

Analysis first, then plan, as Tookoo recommends.

Use native plants, as neotoma recommends.

Get specific plant recommendations locally, as Terri & sgelade recommend.

Here is my two cents worth, for the shortterm.

a. Remove and stockpile the lawn edging and most of the mulch back against the fences.

b. Take a can of spray paint, or a bundle of surveyor's flag, and mark the largest circular or curved form that will fit within the fenced areas, no matter where the trees stand (inside or outside of the line) to form the temporary edge of your lawn area. See if the entire family agrees on the alignment or just do what looks best to you as the Senior Gardener.

c. Add the wood edging to the new edge, or, it will look a lot better if the edge is not visible, using a steel edge whose top edge is down just above the grass roots and no longer visible, and not an impediment to the lawn mower. (when you form the plant beds, you will dig down a couple inches at the edge, where it meets the steel, and then slope the bed up from there, and the mulch will be contained at the level of the lawn, beyond)

My recommendation, after you call in your landscape advisor, is to fill the beds totally with ground cover, beneath the shrubs, so no mulch will be seen after the two years of plant growth, using only a finer textured mulch which will become part of the soil bed. (Maybe the bark mulch will smell good in your new fire pit, along with the wood edging.)

d. Plant the entire area with grass seed or sod and enjoy the beauty. The curved edge will make the space appear and feel larger and will decrease the maintenance of the smaller bed areas.

On the subject of tree placement: analyse first, then plan. Look at all the views beyond your fenceline from all windows of the house, the living/ dining areas, all the bedrooms, to enhance the good views and to block the big, the bad, and the ugly.

The large trees on your list will block views from the upper windows, The small horizontally branched trees will be a piece of sculpture in your downstairs view throughout the year, while their flowering and fragrance yet another reason to be alive. For instance, if you have an attractive small tree that has attractive flowers and foliage, PLUS has attractive bark color and has a sculptural quality in the off-season, you won't have to visit the museum quite as often, with a sculpture garden right out your window.

start by planting some big trees around the border. dont forget to plant trees allowing sun in winter. then ,if you want, put a smaller garden underneath. puttig a bench under a shady tree makes a lovely , restful focal point. add some nice potted plants, eg lavender, and statues.

Absolutely love that garden hilde garde! All of those plants would do well in Adelaides climate.
I have a large backyard and a small budget so I have gone the simple option of lawn and deep garden beds, buying plants as tubestock and saving a ton!

Put in a swimming pool and spa!

A bird cage would be a good use of the space if you have some budgies!