My house, built in 2003, has purple feature walls in the dining room and 2 bedrooms and green feature walls in 1 bedroom and 2 living areas. That was the fashion then. Recently I decided it's time for an update as the feature walls seem to be absorbing all the light and making the house very dark. So far I've undercoated 2 of the feature walls and what a difference it makes! The rooms are much lighter and now I have to decide on whether to add a lighter colour as feature walls or paint them the same colour as the rest of the room.

i love bamboo, giant bird of paradise etc but do NOT put next to your pool. In our last build we used Zanadu. Big leaves that do not drop and bullet proof. Perhaps find another way to cover the fence other than plants that almost always drop their leave and have invasive roots.

Perhaps check with your local council to see if they have a plant list. Many councils here in NSW do this to assist homeowners with choosing native Australian plants and some introduced plants that grow well and are in keeping with the area. Of course it depends on the look of your house and whether your landscaping plan will compliment that, or whether you want a manicured look, or a natural look, cottage garden look (e.g flowers and hedges) or a beachy look (e.g. if you have a pool) and so on. Fruit trees sometimes need a different aspect to other trees, so separating food trees from general foliage is something to consider. Oleanders are off the list in many parts of NSW too. We recently put a fence in similar to yours but it has been painted black as our house is modern. We've been advised on lomandra, banksia and grevilias and lili pillys for a native garden as we already have lemon scented gums and ironbarks on the property. If you consider the building style of your home, and the trees common to the area you're in, sometimes that can give some inspiration

Gum trees are provide a stunning canopy to any garden, but as with any large tree close to your home, you need to be mindful of its health and possible future limb failure. Sudden limb failure in Eucalypts is the result of periods of dry weather, impacts on a tree's root zone and subsequent moisture stress. I recommend creating a beautiful native garden in this area with groundcovers and grasses that are suited to the sunlight available. Make sure the area is properly mulched (organic mulch is best) and that you water the area during periods of hot weather. It's also worthwhile having an arborist look at the tree every 12 months of so to make sure it is still healthy.