Backyard pics

Okay hopefully these pics will make sense...Jonathan was on our roof looking down at the one side of our yard...

This is a picture taken just off the back of our house

This is the view looking from one end of the yard to the other 

Same view but at the top level of the yard ( 3 tiers) 

Again same view looking south but viewing upward at the rock wall...

Bottom level of the house looking towards the street....

Now what I want to point out is our entire plan for the backyard has been changed several times during the week...and infact the above pictures were taken yesterday and I came home today and it looks- AGAIN entirely different and it was discussed all the work that has been completed today will be ripped out and re-done yet another time.

Why you may ask is this the case?We started with a 15 ft high semi circle rock wall along the back side of the house( which you can see part of it in one of the photos above) and sloping non functional hill around it.  We were also dealing with a grading issue around our house with runoff and flooding into our window wells.  We needed to scrape at least a foot down around the house - fun times!  In trying to figure out the best layout for our yard( we hired a landscape designer) it was decided that we would level out the top part with several flat areas...one would serve as an in ground tramp, a grass level, then finally a fire pit and zero scape with fruit trees.  Leaving as much of the existing retaining wall intact to add a deck of sorts, garden plots, and a lawn.  We would fill in around the yard with additional trees, shrubs, flowers and plants.  

However in working with the existing rocks on the property, it was determined that the wall wasnt structurally sound( not sure how it passed engineering) and the rocks were deteriorating and falling apart.  No amount of support or adding additional rock would stop the erosion from happening and potential safety issues with a crumbling retaining wall.  So as one plan changed, it evolved into another - into another and hopefully we are at the final point where no additional changes will happen and we can proceed.  We have the fence to install and then sprinklers, and grass, firepit then tramp.  We will hold off doing any of the planting and finish work till next year.  So far this is what the progress looks like....and hopefully by the end of the summer I can post before and after pics of the entire process.  Crossing my fingers it will all turn out in the end! :)