Where to start!

Hi all
I have this garden (though a bit more sun scorched now!) with a slight incline then a much steeper stretch. Hard landscaping to create two distinct tiers is the plan but not in the budget for a few years yet.
Can I have ideas for dog safe shrubs/bushes, fairly quick to grow, that perhaps I could plant on the steepest slope. It’s north facing but gets the sun (is that possible???). Or any other creative ideas.
Thanks in advance

 

The first thing to do is to prep all the area properly. I doubt it'll be very hospitable for planting.
That means by late summer/early autumn, it'll be in better conditions for planting to establish well and thrive. The bit at the top will easily take a mix of evergreen and deciduous shrubs, or you could simply have a hedge. Autumn is the start of bare root season, which makes it cheaper if you decide on that.
There are lots of good suppliers online, so you'll get suggestions for those, but don't skimp on the prep - clear the turf and add loads of organic matter - well rotted manure is the best, and if you don't have a riding school or similar nearby, you can get it bagged from GCs. Compost is also fine though, and you can mix both for the site. Autumn is a better time for planting shrubs or hedging as it means watering [vital for new shrubs if you're in a drier area] is easier due to the time of year.
It will also help if you can give a general idea of your location - there are huge variations around the country and many plants which are very happy in the south, won't survive further north.

There are dozens of shrubs which will work though. You'll also find that many GCs and nurseries will have a sale in September or thereabouts, so plants are a bit cheaper to buy. Bear in mind that anything which grows quickly, doesn't conveniently stop growing, so you'll need the relevant equipment [secateurs/loppers etc] if you aren't changing the site for a while.

 

The question is what style of garden do you hope to end up with, the fact that you mention hard landscaping suggests formal. Do you intend to retain a grass area or put paving or shingle down? {never pea gravel you would be creating a large cat toilet}
Most shrubs are fairly dog friendly, but perhaps keep him or her away while they get established.
Looking at the picture if you do not want an instant bowling green lawn what you have could be rescued with nowhere near as much work as removing and re turfing.
It might be an idea to have a look at some gardens near by to see what shrubs are doing well in them, your own garden appears to be protected by high fencing so it will give you more scope for planting.
You may have guessed by now I am a fairly old gardener, I will always work with what I have and rescue or restore what I can.
Whatever you do enjoy it.

 

If you are planning on terracing the garden in future I'd keep any planting near your perimeter fence to avoid having to remove or relocate it at a future date. Some people don't mind being overlooked but I'd be inclined to try and screen your garden from those house windows at the back. You could use a selection of small trees and/or shrubs with potentially tree like proportions which you can prune to a suitable height.

Depending on the quality and depth of your soil, consider easy, relatively quick growing small trees like an Amelanchier, Rowan or small Crab Apple, mixed with evergreen shrubs like Portuguese Laurel, Griselinia, Bay Laurel or Thuja plicata. A Buddleia will also help to attract wildlife and can remain semi-evergreen in some locations, with the dried flowers offering winter interest.