Analysis first, then plan, as Tookoo recommends. Use native plants, as neotoma recommends. Get specific plant recommendations locally, as Terri & sgelade recommend. Here is my two cents worth, for the shortterm. a. Remove and stockpile the lawn edging and most of the mulch back against the fences. b. Take a can of spray paint, or a bundle of surveyor's flag, and mark the largest circular or curved form that will fit within the fenced areas, no matter where the trees stand (inside or outside of the line) to form the temporary edge of your lawn area. See if the entire family agrees on the alignment or just do what looks best to you as the Senior Gardener. c. Add the wood edging to the new edge, or, it will look a lot better if the edge is not visible, using a steel edge whose top edge is down just above the grass roots and no longer visible, and not an impediment to the lawn mower. (when you form the plant beds, you will dig down a couple inches at the edge, where it meets the steel, and then slope the bed up from there, and the mulch will be contained at the level of the lawn, beyond) My recommendation, after you call in your landscape advisor, is to fill the beds totally with ground cover, beneath the shrubs, so no mulch will be seen after the two years of plant growth, using only a finer textured mulch which will become part of the soil bed. (Maybe the bark mulch will smell good in your new fire pit, along with the wood edging.) d. Plant the entire area with grass seed or sod and enjoy the beauty. The curved edge will make the space appear and feel larger and will decrease the maintenance of the smaller bed areas. On the subject of tree placement: analyse first, then plan. Look at all the views beyond your fenceline from all windows of the house, the living/ dining areas, all the bedrooms, to enhance the good views and to block the big, the bad, and the ugly. The large trees on your list will block views from the upper windows, The small horizontally branched trees will be a piece of sculpture in your downstairs view throughout the year, while their flowering and fragrance yet another reason to be alive. For instance, if you have an attractive small tree that has attractive flowers and foliage, PLUS has attractive bark color and has a sculptural quality in the off-season, you won't have to visit the museum quite as often, with a sculpture garden right out your window.

Hi there Dianne. Thank you for your feed back. The total cost at today's value would be in the vicinity of $200K. This would include the initial excavation, pool, new entertainment area and all the sundries like kitchen, lights etc. Please keep in mind that every project differs with the specific requirements of the site and the material used. If you want any further information please feel free to contact me directly on 0394390005

Hello Ruby, A landscape designer I recently worked with would be a cost effective and reliable solution. www.inspiringlandscapes.com.au Parveen replied to a job I posted on airtasker and she was brilliant. Went above and beyond our requirements and was very easy to work with. She is also not expensive. She designed our gardens remotely, just requiring photos, measurements, texts and one phone call. Hope this may help.

Congratulations - you really have a lovely blank canvas to start with. I would engage a local landscape design professional for advice and a design based on your brief. One of the crucial aspects of any new garden is the soil preparation and watering systems to help new plants get established and survive. A local landscape designer will understand the constraints of the site, the soil, and the climate, better than the advice you can get on this forum. https://secretdesignstudio.com/thinking-mid-century-garden-complements-mid-century-home/ Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls