Hi Anna, just looking at your layout... I would move your pedestrian path over a little so that your pedestrian gate is lined up with the archway closest to your front door ( Arch 1). I would remove the screen as this breaks up the space and interrupts the flow from street to front door. Moving the path over will also allow for thicker planting alongside the edge of the driveway which will make your courtyard quieter and more private. I think the next step for you would be to then consider the shape of your lawn. As your house has a Mediterranean feel, a strong geometric shape would work the best - square, rectangle, or even a square with a half circle at each end. Leave a minimum of 1.5 metres to the boundaries, particularly if you want nice thick hedging. Finally, consider a couple of features to add interest and draw the eye - keeping with the Mediterranean feel, a couple of lemon trees in pots would look fab! Hope that helps and good luck with your project!

If you are planning to move in a few years, leave the decision whether to paint the bricks to the next owner - they may not wish to have the regular job of re-painting! The awnings , as already mentioned, may be there for a very good reason - wait until mid summer before you decide to ditch them totally, it would be good to get them working properly again to get the sunshine into the house in winter . Central West NSW is a hard place for plants - hot and dry in summer, frosty in winter. Chinese Star Jasmine is an excellent choice along the side fence, but will need watering when young, especially if that fence is exposed to sunlight the whole day in summer. It will grow and become quite heavy, make sure the fence is up to it. You could plant some deciduous trees in the front lawn to give shade in summer to those front windows - crepe myrtles are tough enough, Chinese pistachios are good - anything will need watering to establish, but once they are growing well you can gradually toughen them up by decreasing the watering; the deciduous trees will lose their leaves in winter and still let the sunlight come pouring in to the house. Grass will struggle under their branches once the trees start to spread, so plan to create garden beds underneath them early on. You could underplant with bulbs - tulips will love the cold winter, daffodils and jonquils will love the winter sunshine when the leaves are bare. You will need to know the path of the sun in midsummer and in midwinter to work out the best position for trees, so take pictures of where the sunlight and shadows fall in the different seasons to refer back to when planting. Roses also love a hot dry climate, but you may not wish to get involved with rose pruning and thorns etc! Talk to your local nursery person, they will be able to give you good local advice and recommendations - if you have an idea of what you need the front to do that will help - do you need lawn for kids , are you happy to kiss the lawn goodbye etc. Wander around your neighbourhood in the different seasons, and if you see something that catches your eye, either talk to the house owner or take a picture and visit the nursery again! Most people are thrilled to be asked questions about their garden, and will prove to be mines of useful information. See if there are any open gardens open to the public in spring / summer - these are often really spectacular, and the grand country gardens are wonderful for ideas , which can be modified for a smaller area and budget.

Hi , Love oklouise ‘s suggestions, a row of ornamental pears along fence would add a modern look, viburnum ‘emerald lustre ‘ underplanted as a hedge, it has a fabulous foliage , ornamental grasses combined with structural plants would look great, a water feature with a feature tree in smaller garden area would just finish the garden beautifully and really highlight your driveway.

lilypilys are lovely... I think some more lush green small trees and shrubs (there are plenty of native options) would help cool and soften the hard landscaping. Have you considered a small butterfly garden with a little path of steppers that wanders through? Your little one will love that as they get a little bit older. It will become a special little spot to wander and explore. I've converted my entire front lawn into a nature play space, the kids climb the lilypily and pick and eat the berries, they have a little cubby house they built under the front stairs. there are strappy grass plants and timber pathways that go across a 'creek' of river stones. the kids balance on the river stones and there's a big wooden log to climb. There is no lawn out here, and it seems to inspire a very different sort of play they watch the insects, and look for frogs and the flowers attract butterflies. stepped pavers mean hopping and jumping, wooden timber walkways help with balancing... all in all its still pretty safe though. plants flower regularly, there are bulbs that pop up and surprise the kids, and all the plants are rugged enough to withstand the occasional accidental falling into the garden. grasses that have silky tops, anything with berries and seeds and interesting seed pods things like lilypilys, a small area with river pebbles, the kids love playing with all of that, and lots of little bushes with small flowers that can be picked regularly and harvested into baskets. my favorite cheap and cheerful flowers include dogbane, nasturtiums, calendular, marigolds... herbs with interesting smells that can be crushed like rosemary, mint, lemonbalm. you can even make a safe fishpond in a tall pot... little guppies are fascinating to watch! And a bird bath would be nice. the back yard can be a more of a rowdy rough and tumble play area, but a little front yard can be a special place for wonder and exploring nature. Our front yard is really not a massive space but there's just enough to bring the butterflies and tiny birds and create an extra play option.