A lot of emphasis is given to creating yards for children. This is often misplaced, as children can easily be encouraged to enjoy garden spaces without swathes of lawn for them to play on. Children in particular love natural spaces - gardens that children can learn about birds, frogs, beetles etc. The more biodiversity of plant material, often the greater the diversity of fauna. You have a big drop considering the depth of the area, as I read it. I am assuming that the site is rectangular? I am a sustainable landscape advocate - in the true sense. So I would manage your site by extending the whole slope out from the house edge to the back fence. This will then reduce the severity of the slope. I would then make a path going from close to one corner at the top, to about midway across the slope on the opposite side and then with a wide arc bring the path back again to the original point. It would look a bit like a tear drop. You will need to provide steps into the steepest part of the path - short riser with long tread looks best, and dont overdo the number of steps if it can be avoided. In between just have aggregate as the material to walk on. Large rocks can help to bind the soil on the higher side of the path. I would also suggest a tall hedge plant around the periphery to enclose the whole garden space. Then fill the garden areas with plants; I would definitely include trees in the mix. The vertical aspect is essential in garden design; it makes the garden look bigger, and also increases the biodiversity into your garden - this is what children really love because the increased number of birds etc helps to give the garden character. Of course as a sustainable advocate, I would suggest indigenous plants. You will need to use a bobcat to shape the site in the initial instance and to place the boulders. But any rocks that require an excavator or crane aren't in sync with sustainability. I hope that this helps and good luck with your garden. Alison

My partner and I are beginning to have conversations with Landscapers in regards to our front yard design but we’re struggling for ideas. Currently we’re thinking front door in bottom bricked area after front right corner is excavated in a 3.6x3.6 square to ground level. Stairs from the ground level up onto the landing with new turf, that is supported by a retaining wall that surround that square as well as filling up the driveway. All stumps and trees in the picture will be taken away. What native plants do you think we could plant? The house will be painted white shortly with a dark trim. We don’t want anything that will cover the front window. Any help would be appreciated.

@bigreader thanks for your comments. I think we may as well forget the retaining wall anyway! That's not going to be for a good number of years yet! I'm inclined to keep the top hedge as it flows on from the rest of the hedge bordering the lawn (see image below) on the top bank. But the bottom line of hedges get too much water so would be happy to replace them. With the tree, what height are you suggesting under? I am wondering if it would it be too close to the tree on the other side of the path? There is also the tree to the far left of the garden bed? Would some larger plants be more suited to here like a QLD Spear Lily with a few different types of smaller plants as you suggest to fill out the garden bed? But what would you suggest as a border/edging for the front of the garden bed? Rocks or a hardy wet soil loving plant?

Can you closely match the bricks ? That would be the first question I'd ask . Your house basically has two brick tones -- one is a redder orange , one is more orange . Personally , I'd try for the orange , brick would be great but if you can get a close match with colourbond ( or plasterboard and paint , but I suspect colourbond would be less hassles ? ) , colourbond would presumably be the cheaper option , although with any of them , if you don't match it too well , it will show -- even a 'new' look as opposed to aged will 'jar' until it fades and gets some age . Rather than your greeny grey garage door , I'd go white though . The other option would be to try and do the garage door the same as your roof , but that would need a pretty good painter who can do a decorative effect -- some swirls and different tones to reference the roof . Just one other thing -- the house and garden is really nice , but that natural timber front garden looks out of era and out of place to me -- do the wood charcoal the same as the fences , and it will blend in ; or white the same as your trim , to make it a feature . But at present it just detracts IMO .