Congratulations Mark! I really like the drawings that you did up with the new door and deck at the front. It makes a huge difference to the house. I think the all grass look at the front is a bit much. It would benefit from some sort of pathway to the deck, but I don't have the imagination of the other Houzzers, but I love what you have done so far.

Thanks everyone - yes the manhole is an inspection point for a sewer main, and can't be moved. We are building in a Heritage Listed area and had to have the 'lawn area' located there to get approval from council. It's not ideal, however I'm sure we can make it amazing! oklouise I was concerned that their wouldn't be enough room for the table and chairs, however feeling reassured now there will be thanks; even if it's placed over the top of the manhole (which I hadn't thought of) i'm thinking an umbrella weight sitting on top of it and fairy lights draped to take the eye upward!! I'll post a picture shortly as we are only up to frame stage on the house!

Hi Polly, I live in SE Qld, so completely different climate from you. Where I live, Lomandra are incredibly hardy and will grow in shade or sun. Westringia are also hardy, They will take part-shade and adapt very well to being clipped to size. I'm also happy with my dianella. They are really great for getting green 'lushness' in shade. I grow quite a few grevilleas. The hybrid ones flower all year round and give great colour to the garden - and the birds love them. I also grow leptospermum, melaleucas and callistemons in areas where my drainage isn't good enough for grevilleas. I also like Chrysocephalum apiculatum as a ground cover. According to the experts it grows in Melbourne. Where I live it's very long-flowering and spills onto paths nicely. I'm growing a few lilliepillies in shady areas, but we had lots in our last garden so I wanted a change. We have no lawn at all in our garden. No kids or dogs so don't need it. There are so many wonderful natives. Our local Bunnings actually stocks quite a few, or you can find a specialist native nursery that will have an even bigger selection. They can give you advice on what will grow well in your situation.

Thanks, Paul. Totally hear what you're saying. We feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. Consulting a designer would have been our first port of call. But we're cautious for very good reason. We did what we thought was the sensible thing and consulted a 'designer' for our internal renovations. We got burned big time. We're fearful the same thing could happen again, when the wrong landscape designer spots the garden illiterate coming too. We simply can't afford to make that mistake again, but understand the consequences of not consulting a designer. Consulting the trades direct does arm us with more knowledge (so we can spot the con artist a little sooner), but we don't want to be time wasting tyre kickers either. We've had some great word of mouth referrals with other trades. But due to lack of exposure or bad experiences, absolutely no-one can recommend a designer or landscaper. That in itself makes us a bit nervy.