Hi Joel, Looks like a battleaxe block, privacy def an issue - if money isn't a problem, I would take down the back fence as well, put a brick fence all the way around with an automatic sliding gate. This would give you extra entertaining space out the front as well. If you have a dog, it could patrol all the way around your home. If you don't like the look of brick on the inside you could render it. Another alt is building the fence out of fence panels, they look like rendered brick, but without the labour & price tag. Cheers. Congrats on your new home

Bulbs! Bulbs bulbs and more bulbs! The perfect way to freshen up for spring. Its so simple and fun and they look after themselves and give a great look. Check online suppliers like tesselaar and garden express who often sell bulk landscaping amounts of bulbs for really good prices. You can get hundreds of bulbs for well under $100. They often have a mix for for warmer areas if you are a little further north. Plant them out in the garden beds, and around the trees and wait for them to come up. Every year they will give you a great show. If you are well north, then opt for daylillies and agapanthus and clivias. They will give you variety and low maintenance colour year after year. The simplest way to give a nice look is to use a mass effect and repeat one or two plants or one colour over the entire front yard. For example choosing say purple and planting rows of lavender, salvia, alliums, and grey foliage plants like lambs ears and rosemary/ westringia.

Your garden may have been done by now. But here's my bit of inspiration for you. Presuming your desire to keep path is because it is the entry to your house. 1. All along the front boundary, planting a living screen/hedge edged garden bed ... Murraya Panniculata (Flowers have tropical orange blossom scent) 2. The garden bed (under window) on the left hand side of path to become your tropical oasis of planting - consider mass for extra drama and lights along pathway leading to door. 3. Other side - the right hand side pathway ... Using width of "porch/pillar"area as guide, create an edged new garden bed and plant it up to your heart'[s content with tropical style, and in front of that and up to the Murrraya Panniculata hedging pave and create a usable courtyard - with table and chairs to enjoy a breakfast, or afternoon tea - and why not include a daybed for reading pleasure? 4. Imagine the view into the garden area from inside!!

I think during the day, you might mostly have blinds raised, allowing sheers to show, which from outside will look fine. In the evening, you will likely have blinds down for privacy so I don't think it matters so much. Function before aesthetic. Having said that, speak to a few blind companies and find out the best way to install (inside window frame or outside) so that the look from outside is seamless when blinds are down. I'm thinking if installed just a bit beyond the frame width, no gaps at sides of blinds will show.