Hi Richard The first thing to check then is what the rules are about putting anything on that roof. A deck there will have limits to avoid overlooking, and multi-story, issues with the neighbours (I have first-hand experience of these rules :-) ), which will establish a boundary of how far you can go. Then there is the fundamental structural question of what you can put on there. Then there's the question of what you can afford... For me, a simple and cheap option would be to put some tall plants/planter boxes toward the far edges of the roof, tiering to lower plants at the front. I'd take away the plants in front of the stairs at the garage, and have smaller/narrower plants up against that garage window wall to hide it, and also away from the side steps from your upper level. That makes the roof part of the garden view, and maximises the terrace area (remove encroaching plants), and hints at 'more' around the corner, down the steps. With a bit more money and appropriate permission, a deck on the roof gives you another whole space to play with. You'd have to work out where the best access to that roof deck would rise from, without losing too much of your current paved area. Connie's idea for a bridge could work well, but would seem to interfere with the access to the current paved area? With a lot more money, permission and some engineering, I'd be really tempted to build a deck on that roof and extend it full width right back to the house, at the same level as your door/windows! That way you bury the garage (and small terrace) under a much larger area, giving you heaps of options for creating spaces. You can use the old terrace then for storage (e.g. gardening materials always take up space, and more garden = more materials; compost heaps, worms, bikes, ...). Even if you can't take the deck all the way to the front/side of the garage, you can still create a whole new area there. And you can surround it with plants even if you can't build to the edges. I love spending other people's money :-)

A path around the boundary of the back yard and allow for garden beds or hedges on the boundary of your property. A figure 8 or roundabout would be lots of fun as well. Remember they will grow out of the little tykes cars and will be on scooters and bikes soon, which means more speed. Mark out tracks with garden hose or line marker spray paint. Think about where a veggie patch or garden beds might go. Concret would be the best surface for a path. Have fun!

Two plants I can suggest that I have chosen for my garden, are virtually unkillable, will grow in almost ANY soil or weather conditions & require little maintenance are: butterfly/african iris & Celtic Cascade tree. Both can be left to go a little wild for a natural look, or be cared for, to fit perfectly in a more formal garden. In regards to the iris, I removed my entire garden of mature, property damaging trees when I moved into my new house, but didn't want to wait years for a new mature garden, so I searched online for ppl selling/giving fully grown specimens away before they did renovations or re landscaped! The plants were a cinch to dig up, replant in my heavy clay soil & are thriving! I even cut some of them in half before planting and it didn't phase them!

a quick look on HOUZZ revealed many photos of similar ideas... you may like to check out "garden colonnade or climbing roses" for inspiration and i'll keep looking for something suitable..the idea is to build the structure tall enough so that the top is way above the height of the existing fence and you could also add horizontal panels of lattice as well as the climbers to obscure the neighbours' roof and your shrub roses can be planted between the colonnade and the fence The neighbour's structure looks like it's attempting to block out your house it's just not tall enough...