Those marvellous mature trees need more than just that narrow bed to source their water, so don't seal up the lawn area with paving if you can avoid it.

Thanks for your comments. It looks narrower in photos than it actually is. It is North facing and we have dining room/ Kitchen windows overlooking the side. I will check the permit and see what it says.... this photo is from the better time :(

Is there anything else I can do with it??? It looks very run down at the moment :(

For a quick freshen-up, try these: repaint the border in a new colour; weed&clean up the garden bed and position fresh mulch, preferably eco-mulch; if you can see the fence from the house, maybe give that a paint to match your border; try and rejuvenate your lawn by aerating, top-dressing, feeding and perhaps some more seeds. Lastly, if this is an angle that is commonly seen, put a feature at the end of the view to catch the eye, like a large potted tree, some palms (climate permitting), or a bold decorative screen.

I would remove the ugly edging to the garden bed and the lawn. I would remove the lawn and cover the area through to the fence with a base and then a fine aggregate topping in grey. Grey is far more aesthetically pleasing than white gravel.

You will need to dig out the lawn area either by hand or with a bobcat/dingo if space is an issue. You cannot just put the aggregate over the top of the existing site as this will cause the soil to build up at the base of the pencil pines effectively killing them over time.

If you do as suggested, the whole area will look much bigger. Its all about illusion and keeping it simple.

Just a thought but how about a timber decking going right back under the porch to the house... If you ran the timbers from the fence to the house it would make the space look wider maybe?

Modern Garden · More Info

Hi a cost effective way would be to have astro turf installed. The benefits are no maintenance you can cover that mowing strip and finish flush with the patio.This would turn this area into a user friendly level area. The choice in different types of astro turf is huge.Hope this helps. A professional installer would be recommended.

Hey there suneerevo! Some great ideas in this thread.

You could potentially turn the side area into a small cricket pitch/play area - include a small sand pit/outline a hopscotch zone. I'm not sure how old your children are, but I agree the area may be too small for basketball (unless it is just shooting practice) or bike riding.

You could introduce astro turf (pic below is of the fresh cut turf which you can purchase from Bunnings) and shade sails above, and some fun outdoor furniture to encourage play and also relaxation.

Example of some fun furniture perhaps :)

The shade sails (examples below) will prevent the synthetic turf from getting too hot, and block out UV rays so your children can play or your guests can relax. You can also purchase these from Bunnings and install them yourself :)

Industrial Design Bungalow in SLC · More Info

Hope this helps! Let us know what you end up deciding on.