We have a small—18' x 19'—backyard that was shaded by a large maple until a year and a half ago when it had to come down due to a fungal condition. The yard was hard to do much with because of the shade but now with the increased sunlight we've been able to experiment more with gardening and other decorative planting. Last summer I discovered that grass takes way too much watering to maintain so I've been waiting for inspiration to strike to find an alternative.