Our Murder Shack Rental

There is a creepy shack taking up much of the dirt space in our backyard. Technically, the landlord uses it to store old appliances and chairs, and the neighborhood cats sometimes hide from the rain in there. When/if it rains. The shade from the shack leaves a swath of grassless land. The dirt itself is heavy clay anyway, so we were thinking of putting gravel or shade loving shallow rooted plants there. The grill lives out on the cement near the not pictured lemon tree to the left, and on the right is what we think is a plum tree. Beyond, there is a mound of dirt we assume has buried secrets, and beyond that, wild fennel and a dilapidated fence. Sometimes, the neighbor's adorable bulldog navigates the gaps and comes barreling over looking for scritches. The cement extends to the right and around the house on both sides, but we have some elevated beds on the right as well.