And to you, and to Chook too, of course. Sydney just has the best fireworks, doesn't it? Though I'm glad that Mr Dog and I don't live there. It'll be rough enough here. Row, I think you've done a great job. Yes, the roller blind may no longer live in that room. Thanks for sharing the other pics -- see, you were dreaming of pattern on walls before I came along.

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

Any imported soil will cause problems with the longevity of plants that you choose. You are always better off working with the existing soil on the site. Because of changes, I would suggest that you consider getting a professional in to have a look at that site. You have a slope towards the fence which is going to cause a problem and the garden bed that you have constructed only looks as though it is about 50cm wide. This is nowhere near wide enough to get any plant to grow to fence height. Unless you grow bamboo which is expensive and wont like the imported soil. And even then this plant will increase beyond 50cm - even the clumping forms. As for the Chinese Elm - these can become massive trees. Taller shrubs, like Callistemon pallidus could have the stems trimmed and retain the canopy and being native will be more tolerant of soils and conditions. Professional advice is needed here. And get an older person who has had years or experience and is a horticulturist.

Hi Jeannie, I'm an interior designer in Sydney. What you're missing here is heights, plants and perhaps art, I doubled your art to show you how it could look. The tv unit is fairly low so you need to use some different heights to help it draw your eye up. The other unit you could use for plants and maybe some books. This is a basic mock-up I did to have you an idea, hope that helps.