Hello Anna , Camellias are a beautiful tree and they come from the cooler regions of Asia and are more suited to a humid / cooler conditions. I have them on the southern side of my home here in Sydney where they have protection from the hot sun . Flowers will burn as will some leaves from hot winds and dry conditions are not really to their liking . I’m not saying they won’t grow, they will but will struggle and need to keep roots moist . They become quite broad and will eventually brush against cars etc as your driveway is narrow . Crepe myrtles are from India originally and the warmer Asian countries. They do lose leaves and with this comes a change of view as the leaves turn a bright orange/yellow and give you completely different look . After this the tree will be bare for a few months exposing the stunning bark ( more mature trees ) that you just cannot walk past without touching . Then in spring the new growth is like green ! They don’t really NEED to be pruned but you will get lots more flowers . As you are using this in a driveway i would just let the grow naturally and as a narrow, tall ish tree =. Great for drive way . Let me take a picture of mine here in Sydney . I will send it next . Also , as you are driving around your area keep an eye out for trees that catch your eye , ask your local nursery man , if you have one . Crepes love hot dry areas and will not need watering at all after established . That’s why some councils in nsw use them as nature strip trees = low care !! Most important of all ...... enjoy yourself !! Gardening very rewarding

Matt, define your specific requirements, then people can assist with advice as to how to potentially achieve those requirements....honestly, the sky's the limit, what you need to define at the start is (a) what you want (b) how much you want to spend. Then you can start to nut out the how ......I'm always conscious of and advise to ensure you achieve net overall gains/value adding, with any decision so knocking down walls may be a gain on opening up, but you may reduce spatial flexibility/zoning.....if you build in a garage to gain a bedroom or extra living, what affect would this hypothetically have on property value? Is that important to you or not? You get clear on this stuff & why you need to either change or add something, then the answers become relatively straightforward. Everyone and anyone can throw ideas at you, but ultimately the reasons why you build, renovate, extend or whatever should originate from the owner(s)/client...and ultimately the answers one way or the other will be primarily controlled/influenced by budget. Sorry if that's both vague and probing, but believe me this is key to and at the heart of any type of project :) PD

First - fix the proportions. remove the square hedge and possibly second hedge in front of the window. The fence on the right should be moved back in line with edge of house as it is making things look out of proportion. Colours - You need more contrast - keep the bricks, paint the garage darker, maybe charcoal. The arch - The arch around the entry is a bit off putting - I think it is because it is blocking view of the door. Could it be removed? If not, might first idea is to add some malibu wood paneling near the door or make a little wooden entry deck in the malibu. Second idea is to grow some vines or greenery on it. and remove the three little scrubs. Or instead of vines add two big potted plants on each side of the arch to make it more welcoming. Hope that helps Best of luck

A few points. 1. Although the top of a hill seems like the ideal location you will be buffeted by winds on the peak. Better to site the house about 100m below the crown of the hill. You will still get the views but importantly be sheltered from weather while still being situated out of the cold valley. While wind may not sound too bad, you'll be surprised how much more difficult this will make gardening especially in the environs around yass. The earth there isn't very water absorbent so all your watering is going to run off leaving your garden dry and then the wind will be extra dehydrating and harsh. But siting on the slope, yes you will need to terrace but you wiill also benefit from runoff further up the hill. 2. With a drive that steep you are going to need asphalt. Compacted road base and gravel will just wash away in the first heavy rain. A dirt road will also be suspectible to erosion and minor land slips leaving deep fissures in the shoulder. 3. You are going to need proper runoff mitigration as soon as you cut a path up the hillside you are simultaneously creating a way for water to gain velocity and force from runoff. I would consider gabion reinforcement on the embankments or at the very least plants of either lomandra or vetiver (deep rooted grasses) to slow water down as it traverses the hill side. These grasses will also capture leaves and other debris preventing it from becoming dangerous in a storm. To be honest it will be worth you engaging an engineer to design your drive including run-off management and whatever other reinforcements you may require. If you wait until you have a major storm and your drive becomes unpassable it will be far more inconvenient.