What the heck can I do with this patch of garden?

[99percentchocolate]

I'm a terrible, terrible gardener. When we moved in this space was an overgrown herb garden. There was a raised bed in the centre which housed the plants stinging nettles and other weeds and the rest of the area was tarped and covered with stones. I've moved the stones to other locations, pulled up the tarp, and planted grass seed. Obviously will be doing a second lot of grass seeds to get it looking nice.
I'm looking for a low cost - low maintenance way of making it look nicer. I have patio slabs (a mismatch) which I'll be painting with outdoor paint for hopscotch and there will be a chalkboard on the wall of the garage too.
Any other ideas to make it look pretty? I'm at a total loss!! Please help!

Looks like you've made a huge improvement already! Maybe plant some climbers to go up the fence? e.g. sweet peas, climbing roses, etc. Or you could buy those plastic things that allow you to hang pots on fences, and plant strawberries and tumbling cherry tomatoes.

Yep, get those fences covered with climbers, it'll make a world of difference. Often smaller patches with high fences are quite shaded, so maybe think about getting rid of the lawn (which may struggle) and planting it up with shade plants instead??

I would create a focal point with a border at the end with a small tree - something on a dwarfing rootstock that literally just goes higher than the fence but not might higher. This will draw the eye away from the neighbouring houses that back onto you and focus it in the garden - you could choose a fruit tree if you want edibles! Underneath, some shade tolerant, mid-height plants for colour and interest, and a narrow border down the other side with spring and summer bulbs and perhaps some grasses. You could even use a little patch of it to grow something like rhubarb to eat!

Then I'd put the hopscotch right in the middle of the plot (the paving stones need to be properly laid to make it safe), and surround it with gravel (use weed membrane underneath). You can cut small slits in the membrane and plant through it to soften down this area so it's not all hard landscaping.

*not much higher

These ideas are fantastic, thank you so much!
Love the idea of the climbers and a fruit tree. We had a pear tree in the garden when I was a child and it was one of my favourite things about the house!

Maybe get a couple of grobags against the wall for mini tomatoes and easy salad crops. To save money on grass maybe dig some of the bare patches and grow lavenders, thyme and chocolate mint in the lawn. All of these are quite resilient and will smell nice when trodden on.

I'd paint the garage wall and all the fences the same colour, like dark green and then put wires and plant climbers. Or go for a bright colour if that's your thing .

Make some giant flowers from plywood, paint bright colours and attach to the fences?

A flower bed for gardening with DC. Sunflowers up whichever wall or fence gets most sun. Plant bulbs next autumn.

Solar lights. Bird feeder. Wind chimes if you like them.

The pound shop is your friend here.

And a Table and chairs to enjoy it once it's lovely.

I love the idea of the giant flowers but am terrible at that kind of thing! I saw some repainted recycled cans that had been nailed to the fence as planters on Pinterest though and I really like that idea.
Definitely going to give the sunflowers a go against the garage wall too. I was thinking of maybe digging a small border, putting down some tarp in a strip, filling with slate chippings and then a couple of sunflowers in pots. Would that look ok?
Been looking more into the creeping thyme too and I love the idea of that around he paving slabs. Would it look silly having the paving slabs scattered across the middle area though with the creeping thyme just around them and then with normal lawn further around it? (Kind of like a strip of thyme if you see what I mean)
Would that even work?
Considering a garden bench next to the fence too. We already have a seating area at the other end of the garden on the patio, but if the kids are playing down at this new end of the garden then I won't be able to see them as there is a huge tree in the way.
The concrete area at the back I'm going to try to fill with potted plants I think.
Does this sound silly or impossible? Please be honest!

Would you consider letting your children loose with some paints to do a mural on the wall. Maybe hand prints that you can add some stalks to so that the hands become flowers. Maybe do it once a year to see how they have grown.

Nothing really looks silly in a garden. If you don't like what you have done it is just a case of moving it somewhere else. The thyme will do its own thing. It will creep randomly across the garden you can leave it or cut it into shapes or keep it neat. Garden centres will soon have thyme in them. Personally I like to buy lots of smaller pots, about £1.30 . Space them out and in a few months you will have a pretty patchwork, or a line of different colours. By summer they will be flowering and in November give them a close haircut and they will thrive again next spring.

Wilkinsons have lots of ornamentatal grasses for £1.50. You can make a patchwork of these either in pots or in the ground.

I like the idea of the handprints - very sweet, thank you!
Will check out wilko - thank you!

You could keep it grassed but add the built in walled bench at the back? See pics