New landscaping ideas?

I'm looking to redo my landscaping this year.  I want to be very eco friendly.  Any suggestions?  I have a relatively small area and I live in the midwest (Cincinnati).  I will be looking into local plants that thrive in this climate.  Any other thoughts?  What about a border fence (to keep the dogs out), what materials would be best?  I'm not looking to drop a fortune into this, either.

 In the landscaping part of the United States Green Building Council's LEED program they recommend using indigenous plants (local to the area so require less irrigation). 

You could also purchase a rain barrell to collect stormwater and recycle that water for irrigation.

Also the use of mulch around trees and bush areas.

I'd stay away from harmful, hazardous fertilizer and pest control. 

From a maintenance viewpoint, make sure you take preventative measures for maintaining the lawn/landscaping to prevent the need for more chemicals down the road.

For example, lay down pre-emergent in the spring to prevent weeds from coming up all summer and having to apply and re-apply weed/disease killers. One could argue that pre-emergent isn't eco-friendly, but one application of pre-emergent is better than treating a troubled lawn all summer with multiple chemical treatments.