georgi02 "follow some simple guidelines, the ones that people frequently aren't told when buying wall gardens and you end up finding out the hard way" Plant walls are fashionable and seem ideal for small spaces but it would be good if the stores that sell the bits and pieces told people it's not just a trendy decor item, it needs some gardening expertise. mutcherson, is there any space between that deck and the fence? IMO the most successful low-maintenance gardening is the right choice of plant growing in the ground. As soon as you start messing around with unusual plants, unusual containers, unusual locations, you start having additional challenges. But I reckon if you want it's worth having another try with a wall using georgi02 's instructions. Succulents are easy to grow from cuttings and forgiving of lack of water. When you take cuttings of succulents you are supposed to put them aside for a while before potting them and I have found pieces I forgot I cut weeks earlier and managed to grow them. I have had some problems with succulents but that was because of frost so you you won't have that challenge.

I'd go for the higher privacy screens within your own boundary. Get a car junk yard to store some old crushed car bodies on piled high on top of each other for 3-6 months to create the screen. They will be au fait with safely securing them. They may even pay for the temporary space leaving you with enough money to later build a truly aesthetically pleasing barrier, something like that big reflective glass barrier to her if she doesn't move! Hopefully she will decide to move when that is all she can see. My dad actually used this strategy successfully with a problem neighbour in the past! Meanwhile have a chat to a lawyer. We have one of those problem neighbours who complains about (non) barking dogs and gets her kicks by watching us put out washing. She now looks onto my chicken coop and thought it was a dog kennel. It makes me feel like going naked when I tend the chickens to give her something to really scare her and having a heavy metal rock band rehearse regularly in my garage. It is horrible to be overlooked by a neighbour who is so problematic and likes to use your family as her reality television set! Do check with a lawyer about her possible trespass onto your property. My guess is she used Round Up on a windy day!

ddarroch Thanks for all the great suggestions. Pity indeed about the directions of the sun and view. Can't change the profile of the block only can try to work out the best based on what it is. Very valid points about the heating VS. clerestory windows. We are in the temperate climate region which keeping warm it’s an issue in winter. We have thought about to have low-e glass in the south facing side but looks like we probably need to have double glazing in places like the north facing clerestory windows like you suggest. No ideas how much more double glazing will cost but certainly we need to include a fair amount into our budget. Agree with having a door separating the living from the back of the house like you said. Much better for heating and sound insulation. Again thanks a lot.

One of the biggest issues with shutters is the dusk and if you employ cedar they will fade unevenly in the sun. I think the best resolution lies in the glass. This will give you your privacy as well as low maintenance with the view unencumbered. There are glazing solutions that can be "switched on" to obscure for privacy. This may give you the best of both worlds. Fantastic View what a great place for a bath...