Where is north in this photo? It looks to me as though the area in question is fairly shaded so a lot of the above options wont work if the area is on the southern side of the home, especially because of the winter shade. The space gets afternoon sun - in summer or winter? There are shadows from trees - are these deciduous or evergreen? Clay can vary enormously from being plasticine like to clay with rocks or stones in it. This will have an enormous bearing on the plants that you can use, precluding plants like westringias that require very good drainage. A plant that is as tough as old boots that will grow in both sun and shade [with some sunlight during the day] is Buxus microphylla var japonica varieties, while Aucuba japonica [Gold dust plant] or even some of the native lomandra grasses would work well. The first two can be grown as a hedge with the latter choosing a variety that you like [ there are so many], but have the plants all the same - don't mix them up. These will all grow in some shade, will grow in clay as well if it isn't too poorly drained. It does appear as though the area is sloping ever so slightly away from the house which is good. But I would steer clear of paving - unless its needed for access etc, it will look patchy and pointless - use plants instead to make your picture - its far more sustainable. Alison

Very pretty plant but keep in mind that it will most likely have a short flowering life. A fiddle Fig is very popular with great leaf shape and easy to manage, just plain green all year round. Mother Inlaws Tongue, Snake Plant is another popular easy to manage plant,

Make sure you have good soil, add mulch, water crystals to retain moisture, slow release fertiliser to promote healthy growth, a watering system is a great way to save time and keep plants looking great. You could try for a tropical look by planting golden cane palms, elephant ears, the gorgeous Rhapis is elegant and gives good dense coverage and beneath trees the lush Xanadu’s foliage is beautiful, adding to the soil as above will maintain the garden beds in top condition.

i leave in hot and dry climate