Monday Miscellany: Yard Overhaul

Hey folks!  The Monday Miscellany segment on the blog is where I take off my reader glasses and share some non-bookish musings.  This week I want to talk about the improvements we want to make to our yard this spring!  Anybody else doing some spring-time landscaping?

Here is the before photo of our backyard:

See the lovely chain-link?

We've already replaced most of the chain link fence with a wood fence - just one more section to go!  Our other plans for the backyard include:

• See the tree on the right? It was cut down by the previous owners and they left a lovely wood chip pile.  That along with the huge sections of lawn we had to spray to kill poison ivy means we have a lot of grass seed to plant!
• In the far right of the photo you can see the backboard of our built-in basketball hoop.  This sucker needs reset (it's leaning) and a new paint job - I'm thinking Cream & Crimson for IU!
• Lastly, there's this creepy run-down barn (not pictured) that we are planning to tear down.

Here's the before photo of our front yard:

It's actually in way worse shape than this picture suggests...the folks before us planted stuff at random all along the front beds and they are a big old mess now!  Our front yard plans include:

• Redo the plant beds: I'm taking out those boxwoods on the left (but putting 2 of them in planters for the front stoop).  A lot of the shrubs are being relocated to the back or side of the house (we already took out the one on the far right).
• Add a cohesive landscape in the beds: it's relatively shady on the front side of our house so I'm thinking lots of hostas and coleus.
• Paint the door: I want to paint our door bright red to add a pop of color!
• Redo our mailbox: it needs to be reset as it is listing forward...and it's just ugly - time for a revamp!
• Mayyyybe paint the siding...I go back and forth on this one :)

What do you think?  Too ambitious? Not enough?  Have any success stories or tips you'd like to share?