John you are fortunate to have such a yard, although the tennis court does aspect as a divider breaking up the space, I think this creates an opportunity to create garden zones or rooms. Intimate garden spaces can be individual enough and still be integrated into a larger footprint. Your garden perhaps may be viewed from different windows, and have different aspects, therefore will have different requiremnts of sun, shelter etc. As the second picture appears to have a shed or structure, and looks more of a utility space, I would obstruct the view from the court, by planting a Boston ivy to cover the fencing, providing a delicate hanging foliage wi ever changing colours of reds and greens. I would do the same on the opposite fencing that overlooks the main lawn area, although I would create a large window effect by clipping or restraining the creeper from a large square in the centre fencing section. Tis will create a room with a view in the foreground, and with effective and clever planting, lighting and design elements, you will create an interesting viewpoint that will direct interest into the yard beyond the court. In the background, the timber fence I would plant your murray a hedge, so the small blooms will soften the look of the fence, paint it a dark colour, like domino by dulux so the foliage stands out against it, and gives an illusion of a deeper boundary. In front of that, centre to your created window in your fencing, place either a sculptural element, in the form of an urn, a formal topiary or statue, perhaps a small water feature with lighting, so it extends the perspective yet again. With the green hedges now creating the walls of your garden room, plant your chosen iceberg roses in front of that, and some informal plantings below. I suggest a bench to watch a match or two, and utilize the other garden Rea to house things such as your patio furniture. Garden rooms don't necessarily make a space smaller, rather they may invite you to meander through garden rooms with beautiful elements and relaxing places to sit. I would also like the look of manchurian pear trees along the fencing if you don't like the idea of a creeper.

Hey there Anthony, what did you end up doing with this space? Bit of a tricky space!

Flufftop, there have been many good suggestions in this discussion. You already have two 'WOW' factors in your front yard...your lovely cottage and the tree. Whatever you do needs to link these two with the remainder of the garden and that's not an easy thing to do when you have a variety of ideas coming at you from all directions. Walk around your neighbourhood, go to Diggers for inspiration but also go to your local nursery and ask if they have a garden advisory service. Another option is to find a local garden designer (www.aildm.com.au) and have them visit your garden. They have the knowledge to tie all your ideas and thoughts together. They will suggest ways to incorporate all, or some, of your wishes into a unified design which can be implemented immediately or over a period of time to suit your budget. It will cost you a fee for an hour or two ,or more if you get a plan drawn up, but will save you money and disappointment because you'll be eliminating guess work and mistakes. Best wishes Arthur

my daughter in law was advised by the pool company not to plant bamboo as once established they do shedd quite a lot and as stated above a root barrier is essential and if leaves not cleaned out of pool will eventually cause trouble clogging the filtration, they planted a pleached hedge and magnolias in large tubs and it looks beautiful, I love the look of bamboo but just be wary , if you are a gardener like me you will sweep up your leaves daily so it's really a matter of choice as to the amount of work you wish to do, good luck, it looks a lovely area.