We are almost done - some metal artwork and filter box to go before planting. Thought you all might like to see what we ended up doing…. Pool & tiles by pool company, everything else done by ourselves. We are extremely happy with the waterline tile colour - they show up differently all times of the day which is a lovely surprise. Ezarri Glass Mozaic waterline: Space Capricorn Capping Travertine

Your problem is the heat generated by the fence and the pool and path. Anything you plant will have to be super tough. All plants loose and replace their leaves. Evergreen drop some leaves all the time and deciduous once a year. Adding pebbles will only reflect more heat and is becoming a dated look along with the cordylines. I'm not sure of your climate but a bullet proof evergreen plant that will cover the fence and take sun, drought and frost is the nandina domestica. Upright growing but no pruning required. There are new varieties of this plant but this one is just the right height to cover the fence. If you get cold weather in winter you will also get autumn colour. Will sucker from the bottom to fill the gap but not a garden thug. Has berries but because of the upright habit should fall into the garden bed. Sometimes called sacred bamboo but not a bamboo.

Also, if you take a look under the "Find Pros" tab on Houzz you can search for tradespeople in your area - tilers, landscapers etc.

Hi Angela, the whole job took a month but there was much digging needed and a concrete slab to be poured. We are so happy with the results. The travertine stuck to the pebble crete just fine and it really is a non - slippery surface when wet. We got bluestone steppers to the pool and they are noticeably more slippery.