I agree with Fiona about the Ficus - they have shocking root systems and should never be used near pools, houses etc. The width of your retaining wall from the photo looks really narrow, so you are going to have trouble growing most things in there; even the Pittosporums will eventually cause structural damage to the walls. The width of any garden bed should be ideally 1.5 metres at least for proper root establishment. This seems to be hard for most people to understand, but the bigger the plant, the wider the root system. So either widen the retaining wall or you will need to keep the plant lower. The pears mentioned also will never work. 5 years is the testing time of a good garden. When first planted they can look great, but they often break down as they grow. The Ficus and Pears' root systems will keep on expanding after the 5 year period with the Ficus having surface roots that cause massive damage to paving, concrete etc. Google it! And I have seen first hand the damage done by another Landscaper's work, based on inexperience. Get professional advice if in doubt - it is worth it if you get a good one. Alison

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.

Thanks everyone for all the input, I have confirmed with the owner today who says they are Manchurian Pears. As stunning as they are I am not sure they are the right choice for where I want them....I want a row of autum colour/spring blossom (ideally soft pink) with lush green leaves in summer. The garden bed is about 1.2 m deep and 16 metres length, colour bond fence will be behind trees. On the other side of the future fenceline on the adjoining block is a sewer easement apparently large concrete pipe... so want to be mindful of invasive roots. Also what I like about these trees is the rounder shape with the " sticky outward" type branches rather than capital pears which seem to have branches more upright. Suggestions given these criteria? Thx for all the input..I love this site!!

Wow, can't believe this has suddenly reappeared. Yes, 8 years ago I was just starting on a very barren garden, mostly dug by a dog and totally neglected. Lots of prep work to be done because the builders of this house had buried everything from metres of plastic, to chunks of concrete to lunch boxes. Then Covid hit but I found a fantastic online nursery where I was able to buy a huge assortment of tubestock plants to keep me busy during all the lockdowns. The tubetock loved the sand to freely spread their roots and grew very quickly into a bush garden with lots of shade in summer, and many deciduous in winter to allow the sun to warm the house, seeds and nectar for a multitude of native birds and a lot of colour - somethign is always in flower. Maintaining it is keeping me pleasantly busy but active in my senior years and I've met so many locals who stop to admire and discuss the my plants.