Well, it's just the right size for a hot tub.

I would suggest a cafe table for 2 since your space is so small.
Can you bring something out for your dog to do his busness-like a sand box for cats? Not sure how that works since I don't have either a cat or dog so hopefully dog owners will chime in.
There are 'planters' that will hang 'over' the fence so as not to take up so much real estate. Think of a retangle planter box with 'long arm hooks' that hang on the banister or fence. This way the plant or flowers will grow down and cover the fence providing some privacy. An outdoor rug will do wonders as well to bring in color and a personal touch. I hope that helps but hopefully more 'green thumbs' and animals lovers will give better suggestions. Good luck.

Can you get rid of the concrete? There are too many hard surfaces back there. If so, plant a patch of grass in the middle and landscape along the fences - use vines to soften that aged fence.

If you want to freshen the fence, I recommend 1"x4" teak or cedar wood slats running horizontal as seen in this image:

http://citybeautifulcarpentry.blogspot.com/2009/02/teak-fence-and-backyard-garden-deck.html

The little woodchip area just seems far to small to be a good place for your dog to go, I can't think of a good solution outside of putting in a non-absorbant surface that you would regularly hose off. Which is hardly ideal either. I think no matter what you have there you will have odor issues as long as it is being used as the dogs refuse.

RE: Dog waste. Walk your dog and use this space for something special. If you treat it like a dog's bathroom that is what it will remain to be. Also, a walk is good for your dog's health.

This might work for a dog toilet http://www.porchpotty.com/ Containers would be your best bet for plants, you could even use the bag kind that hang on the fence as well as larger ones that sit on the ground. You can fold up the planters and store the dirt in a garbage can inside over the winter. A whole bunch of sweet peas would look gorgeous covering the fence and smell nice too. They make great cut flowers for the house.

The healthiest material for a dog potty area (a material that drains and does not hold bacteria) is crushed rock (cheap) or pea gravel (nicer on the paws and nicer looking, but more expensive and needs tidying regularly). Just make sure the area where you put rock is draining well beforehand. You may have to slope it or install a French drain. Hose the rock regularly and occasionally hit it with some biodegradable detergent like simple green. Your dog may need to be retrained to go on rock.

That area below your deck looks like a nice dog retreat in warm weather. I'd put some lattice or horizontal lath around part of it to make a surround, and put an outdoor dog bed in there.

I don't know your budget or willingness to get into heavy work, but removing the concrete and putting in those concrete grid pavers that allow grass or ground cover to grow through them would make a huge change in your yard. I would put in a large potted tree, too, and apply a semi- opaque deck paint to the bare wood deck and stairs. And get a wisteria vine started to grow up the outside post.

Would you consider an indoor dog "potty" that you would use outside? If you have a hose, you can hose it out when your dog is finished to reduce the odor. If not, I would consider getting rid of the bushes and mulch and planting grass seed so that the ground is more absorbant. You could also build out a low grass bed with treated lumber lined with plastic to use as a grassy area.

For plants, I would recommend finding a DYI vertical garden plan that you like and lining the fences with vertical gardens since you're fenced on on all sides.

Gravel for the dog potty, for the rest - search "Patio" on pinterest and you'll find tons of ideas!

I don't know what the rest of your style/decor looks like but if it were mine, I'd go MCM/mod. Paint the fence and deck white. Level the ground flush and lay down AstroTurf. Find a 50s/60s little patio set. String up colorful mini-lanterns. Plant herbs in classic bullet planters. Get a tiny BBQ grill for the porch. Along the fence, put up trellis and plant clematis or morning glories, for pretty privacy. Make it bright and cheerful, don't clutter it up with too much junk

Oh, and WALK your dog! Always. Please. Thanks.

Since it is a rental, I would not get into removing concrete. Put in that Ikea Platta click and lock wooden deck squares: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20165486/

Leave the fence alone (rental) unless you landlord agrees to let you paint it. In that case, do a bold color that complements the house - indigo? Navajo red? Emerald green?

Then put a couple chairs or a bench and table. Buy some containers and plant what you like. I recommend getting 2 large containers to define the space, then surround with a few smaller ones. I've grown vegetables in containers - it's easy and there are good books out there on container gardens. Just decide how much work you want to put in. I haven't had good luck with those pocket wall planter things, but maybe someone else who has can chime in.

For the dog area, I agree with RuralandRueful that gravel would be your best option, and just make sure you keep it clean.

Maybe you could get some climbing plants across the back to soften it up. It would be easy to eliminate later if your landlord didn't want them to stay. Try morning glory!

Lots of potted plants, some cozy chairs, and outdoor rug in a fun color (or astro turf), a string of lights on the porch, maybe some lanterns, and walk your dog, don't let him do his business back there.
For the plants, check the tags for shade/sun (your porch will be full shade). You can do a few bigger perennials in large pots and mix in annuals. Ask your local nursery what will grow well. If you live right in the city, your zone might be more of an 8 than a 7. Here is the USDA hardiness map; http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/

Yay Baltimore! Looks nice. Definitely add some lights and bright furniture. I don't think you need to do too much else.

put soil over the concrete then put down sod. easy

It would be nice to create two kinds of seating areas -- one on the porch and one on the patio. One area could be for dining (bistro table on the porch), while the patio area could have more lounge-like furniture. If you have additional guests, you can bring the porch seating down to the patio.

Since you're renting, I agree with others here that you should go with containers to garden.

One thing the patio seems to lack is some shade. Short of putting in a tree, you could plant some climbing vines in a container with a trellis. Your neighbor's yard doesn't seem to be much to look at, so it certainly wouldn't hurt the view.

My advice for a first-time container gardener:
-Make sure your pots have holes at the bottom, and get potting mix, not potting soil. You want good drainage.
-Get moisture retaining granules for the mix. You can get a bag of this at Home Depot. The granules swell and hold water, releasing it when the mix starts to dry out. Plants in pots are more likely to dry out than plants in the ground, so this is insurance. A little goes a long way though -- you still want adequate drainage. If water seems to back up and run very slowly through the pot, then you need to thin out the mix.
-Either get a mix with slow-release plant food in it or buy some separately. These usually look like little beige or yellow balls.
-Pay careful attention to a plant's sun/shade requirements.
-If you get ceramic pots, store them indoors during the winter, otherwise, they run the risk of cracking. I've found lots of pretty pots at discount stores like TJ Maxx or Tuesday Morning.

LOVE Baltimore! I'd spread a thick blanket of *shredded* cedar mulch (nicer on the feet), and hang a couple baskets of colorful petunias on the fence. How about a bird bath and feeder to attract some extra life? I bet you'll spend your outside time on that nice porch; morning coffee, afterwork ice tea, and maybe even a romantic dinner or two, so hop on craigslist and find an inexpensive patio table and chairs. With a few strands of lights along the porch and down the banister and you'll be set, hon!

Hi, Joanne!

Container garden of several sizes of ceramic pots. Also like the hhanging off hte fence idea. Umbrella for shade? A piece of outdoor carpet coud change the look of the concrete and be easy to hose down. A chair or two and small table would be nice. Small grill? Keep it simple because it is not a big space.

Doggy needs another special place.

We have a VERY similar patio. We did fast growing vine plants with flowers (passion flowers), an outdoor rug (from overstock.com) and painted some patio furniture in really colorful turquoise paint. I don't have recent pics on my blog (I'll work on getting some up), but after the first year it is really starting to grow and cover those ugly walls!

http://www.twobedroomsandababy.com/2011/09/our-bright-red-backyard-rug-is-here.html

Hi. I have lived in Baltimore city for 20 years, and most of us in my neighborhood have dogs. I see some of the posters are telling you to walk you dog, and of couse you should, but any city dog knows hows to go on concrete. Seriously, late at night, or in the worst of weather, we all open the back door and they are happy to run out and get it over with! That said, I think you shouild do away with the dirt / gravel altogether. In my neighborhood we have all done away with dirt and gone to pavers over sand. If you are anywhere near resaurants, you will eventually get rats digging in the dirt - even in the chicest of urban hoods. Urine will filter well between the brick, and in the summer, hose it down every few days. An old trick I learned from growing up on a horse farm is plain old lime powder. Sprinkle a few scoops of lime over the areas your dog uses most every week or so and let it sit for 24 hours, then hose it between the pavers or off the slab and you are good to go.

It's possible to make a wooden planter with a tall trellis built onto it, great for climbing vines. I saw one in a Black and Decker book of backyard projects. A large pot with a small tree or with a large ornamental grass that waves in the breeze might be nice. There are large pots now that are made of lightweight material that still look fairly nice. Of course a large ceramic pot is beautiful, but they weigh a lot.

As you're renting, I would go with pots, but you would be surprised how even a small space such as this will 'swallow up' plants, and it could end up quite a costly project (please don't do anything structural or spend a lot on a rental). Hanging pots might be too heavy for the fence. Cheaper to cover the existing fence with a roll of willow/reed fencing, and add some pots with low maintenance, evergreen shrubs that you can take with you when you move. Sorry, I don't have a solution for the dog dilemma!

There are lots of great ideas here, but...

I would caution you to ignore everyone who tries to make you feel bad about using your back yard for your dog. Its quite normal to do and it doesn't mean you don't walk your dog. Its simply impractical to NOT use if for this purpose.

Also, I would be careful about having a bunch of potted plants, if you've not had them before you might not realize they actually take MORE work than plants in the ground.

If you DO go with lots of potted plants, be sure to get one of those automatic watering systems and bake it into your garden plan from the start. If not you could be facing a world of dead plants that only make you feel guilty.

Hi everyone,

Thank you SO much for the feedback and great ideas! I now have an arsenal of ideas and actually picked up a few gardening books at the library. I have been all over Craigslist the past few days looking for furniture as well. I actually just added rope lighting on the deck and it looks great at night!

Rest assured, I definitely walk my dog! He is a whippet/boxer mix and highly energetic. I even have a dog walker a few times a week, as I have 2 jobs and am in a dual master degree program...the backyard is more for right before bed kind of thing. Plus, he needs a place when we are out there together.

@RURAL AND RUEFUL - I never thought to use the area under the deck, but you're right; Nash loves exploring around there and cleaning it up and actually using it is a nice idea.

@PARNASSUS - I love the idea of those decking squares because the concrete is so ugly! I definitely won't be attempting such a project as removing the concrete.

@MAMA GIGI - super cute...definitely on the track of what I am going for. Plus, your kiddo is adorable! Thanks!

@AKAY and PAUPERPOSH - All awesome ideas and tips; thanks!

@POODLEGIRL - what a great idea...unless we go to the park, around the block and pavement it is, so that makes sense. I definitely worry about rats, and other things, especially in Baltimore, so I will absolutely look into doing this.

Thanks again for taking the time to offer up some great ideas and advice!!

Shawna

For my backyard in the city I would put in a row of small evergreen bushes to cover your bald area and just put newspapers down on the cement for the dog to go on, Also big pots with hardy ground cover plants have survived the heat in my yards and you can always rig up a neat sun shade screen to shield them from the intense heat. A couple of lawn chairs and you are set. I also have used a small canopy for shade.