Thanks Susan, Much appreciated. I captured the name of the plant and then can not see rest of email- must have something to do with my Houzz settings? But the hint re pinch off top for bushing out came too. Thank you for responding, Naomi

Something like silver birch trees don't take up too much room but will provide some height and interest. Personally I pick out natives, after asking local garden centres for those which are natural to my area. I've used black mondo grass across the front of my walls with purple fountain grass behind it. The fountain grass really takes the summer heat, doesn't need much water and self-seeds. It's grown slightly taller than me after a few years. I have, what I call a 'survival of the fittest' garden. Over the years, I've experimented with all sorts of plants. Eventually, only those that survive with little help, and almost no extraneous watering, get to stay. One of the key things I did when planting out my garden was to dig down into the soil and lay a mat of used, natural-blend carpet underlay (not the more synthetic types used these days). Just ask someone getting rid of their old carpet- it's easy to come across. Above the carpet underlay I added water crystals, then put the soil back on top. After the gardens have been established, I haven't need to get the hose out since. I do have lots of succulents around the place, some native plants and ornamental grasses. I hope this helps.

I would keep the glass in and put stick on privacy film over it. You will get a neat result, you can get a huge range of patterns and colours (start your search on eBay for examples) and you won't lose your wind protection in Winter. Handy when having a BBQ in Summer too.

Hi Susan I would not specify shutters for louvre windows. Apart from curtains, another possible option would be a blind (roman, roller etc) outside mounted ie on the the wall, as it’s likely that when the window is closed the lever won’t be an issue, but probably will protrude past the window trim when open. A customised solution could be to mount the blind so it protrudes further out from the wall than normal, which has downsides that should be weighed up for your particular situation and desires. Motorisation will take the effort out of opening and closing blinds or curtains, and it is easier for you to decide now for hardwire motorisation before the roughing in stage. All the best, Louise, Decoro Custom Interiors - Window Treatment Specialist, Sydney