We have a small inner-city backyard with three chooks. They live in a chicken tractor which we built to sit on top of our raised veggie beds. After a harvest is complete, the chooks clean up, till and fertilise the soil. They get let out to free range, and we throw any garden clippings in there, as well as all the food scraps from our kitchen (we have a toddler so there's no shortage of scraps). I buy pellets for $1.50/kg from our local pet wholesaler and they eat about a kilo per week. The coop is totally vermin/fox proof because it's on raised veggie beds, and it doesn't smell at all. It makes our veggie gardens much more productive, with very little work from us. Plus we get 2-3 eggs every day!

Definitely prefer the minimal! Though that pop of blue looks good.

I would decide what you actually need in a backyard as a starting point, such as a clothes drying area, vegetable garden, sandpit, kids play area, BBQ, outdoor entertaining deck etc. Look at how the sunny spots and shady spots change during the day. Think about the balance between hard surfaces (like decking and paving) to soft surfaces, such as lawns and garden beds. Consider the relationship of the rooms at the rear of the house to the backyard with potential views, and vistas. Consider what is currently over the fence, and what you can do to disguise what you don't want to see (such as your neighbours ugly garage). Also consider if there is redevelopment potential next door that may overshadow or overlook your back garden in the future. Think of the functions of your back garden as a series of outdoor "rooms" and the relationship to each other, and to your house. Your drying area may be in a sunny spot, that isn't overlooked from your dining room, but not too far from the laundry door. If you have young kids you may want to be able to see their play area/sandpit from the kitchen. Locate your BBQ area, outdoor entertaining area which gets the afternoon sun and not too far from the kitchen. Or engage a landscape designer to help you get your thoughts and budget organised. You have lots of scope and opportunities with such a blank canvas. Photos courtesy of Davidson Design Studio http://www.davidsondesignstudio.com.au/ Best of luck, Dr Retro

absolutely traditional. To me this example of contemporary looks cheap and nasty but the traditional looks classy.