Modern woodland garden

This past weekend we've had beautiful weather, in the 50s, and I finally got around to dealing with the neglected section of backyard directly behind the bedrooms. With 2 giant weak-limbed trees (one a linden) that also produce copious amounts of leaves and fallen branches, this shaded area has become a place for toys to get lost in the leaf drifts. Oh, and the flowering quince that's roughly 10x10' and full of 2 cubic yard of leaf-compost. Because, you know, you can't rake a shrub.

With the help of a hedge trimmer, the quince is now down to about 2' across. After removing the giant brush pile that's been accumulating for 30+ years, and filling 14 bags with leaves, this area suddenly seems like it could be part of the yard.

So the challenge now is marrying northwest woodland, spring bulbs, with a modern stone-and-cedar Japanesey aesthetic that also complements the bright periwinkle 1950s house. And works for small children. And a rabid gardener. Umm, hmm.

Sounds like fun, really.