I agree that terracing is the way to go. Try and look at some picture online of Italian gardens. They use a lot of terracing in places like cinque terre and the tuscan regions. It might help to get a pro for the privacy landscaping or try to find varieties of flowering trees with will grow tall instead of full. Stone or possibly even tinted concrete (if on a tight budget) are easy are and should last a while. You can use potted plants and even potted fruits and vegetables. The best thing about potted plants is you can move them around and get a different look when you want a quick change, also fewer weeds and if you need to do anything to them like re-pot you can place them on a table to do it which is easier on the lower back than a traditional garden.

Hi Richard The first thing to check then is what the rules are about putting anything on that roof. A deck there will have limits to avoid overlooking, and multi-story, issues with the neighbours (I have first-hand experience of these rules :-) ), which will establish a boundary of how far you can go. Then there is the fundamental structural question of what you can put on there. Then there's the question of what you can afford... For me, a simple and cheap option would be to put some tall plants/planter boxes toward the far edges of the roof, tiering to lower plants at the front. I'd take away the plants in front of the stairs at the garage, and have smaller/narrower plants up against that garage window wall to hide it, and also away from the side steps from your upper level. That makes the roof part of the garden view, and maximises the terrace area (remove encroaching plants), and hints at 'more' around the corner, down the steps. With a bit more money and appropriate permission, a deck on the roof gives you another whole space to play with. You'd have to work out where the best access to that roof deck would rise from, without losing too much of your current paved area. Connie's idea for a bridge could work well, but would seem to interfere with the access to the current paved area? With a lot more money, permission and some engineering, I'd be really tempted to build a deck on that roof and extend it full width right back to the house, at the same level as your door/windows! That way you bury the garage (and small terrace) under a much larger area, giving you heaps of options for creating spaces. You can use the old terrace then for storage (e.g. gardening materials always take up space, and more garden = more materials; compost heaps, worms, bikes, ...). Even if you can't take the deck all the way to the front/side of the garage, you can still create a whole new area there. And you can surround it with plants even if you can't build to the edges. I love spending other people's money :-)

Hi I like the idea of a deck that is a common level with the house, but it would be expensive and maybe a waste of materials if the bricks are still level and whole. Consider pressure cleaning the bricks to remove grime and weeds. Imagine a pergola over the existing brick area. Have large pots at the foot of some of the posts with vines growing up the posts to eventually form a cover for seasonal shade. (Don't plant the vines directly into the ground, as they will eventually spoil the brickwork with their roots.) Or maybe the pergola could be covered with a suitable material of your choice which suits your climatic area - shade cloth, timber slats, canvas shades etc. Would you enjoy a fountain or water pool of ssome kind? Perhaps a Moroccan-style raised pool with tiled walls. Add some lovely seating - teak? or cane/rattan? and lots of potted greenery. Have fun with your new look.

Can you take out one of the garden beds (front left) and do a smaller deck area to transition from the upper deck down to the paving. I think you need a much lighter colour to provide light and contrast with all the tropical plants. Agree yellow and orange are not helping create a relaxing outdoor area. You already have warm colours in the terracotta tile around the pool so a colour for the walls that cools them down, look for neutral tones in lighter blue/greys to reflect the pool. You can see the difference in the photo above which looks much lighter than in your photo with the dark brick and terracotta orange on the walls which just seems to suck the light out. Large pots can be in your favourite pops of colour to great interest and contrast. Good luck with your project.