Your question to an outside kennel, it will need to be tough. A GSD can chew almost anything , I think Canberra weather is way too cold to have Manny as an outside dog. Buy a extra large crate and keep him inside. Crate train your pup, they will learn to toilet train quicker there is a lot of info out there to google. GSD's need to be part of the family or there can be behavioural issues. Are you renting? is this the reason for the kennel outside?

Yes, rake the needles (and gravel) onto the path, before improving the soil, and periodically during the off-season for the flowering plants. They tend to restrict growth and do not add to the appearance of the foliage or flowers, don't you agree? Not sure what does well in your area, but here's a list to take to your garden center that might brighten your day, and cover the ground. Cotoneaster dammeri, Juniperus conferta 'Blue Pacific", Euonymus fortunei 'Coloratus", Asperula odorata, Dianthus gratianopolitanus "Bath's Pink", Adiantum pedatum, Ophiopogon japonicus, Parthenocissus tricuspidata or quinquefolia (I forget which one climbs up the trees, but get the other one), Most of the above will do well in any pH soil, so don't be afraid to sweeten it, if advised to locally. I would not plant all these together, but you have plenty of room to match up good companions in each area. Some, like the junipers like a little more sun to make you smile. That should get you started in covering the ground. The local folks will be eager to sweeten the list, I am sure. Enjoy the process. Involve your family and friends. Nobody does it alone.

on top of the other comments made - do some judicious pruning of the existing bushes and trees - particularly the larger one at the rear on the left. Making bushes and trees more compact by removing stragglers and "outliers" makes for a much neater appearance - and the total cost is a pair of pruning clippers and possibly a saw. investing in a bunnings blower/vac may also be worth while re cleaning up leaves before each home open. Legally you can trim branches overhanging from your neighbours property onto your property - but not past your boundary. any sawn off limbs do remain the property of your neighbour. Probably not a good idea to throw it back over the fence however as it may engender ill feeling. without seeing the overhanging branches - I am not saying you should chop it all down - but perhaps some removal of excess branches to reduce the amount of leaves falling onto your property. Remove all weeds, consider adding 2-3 large rocks into the garden areas - part buried to make them look as if they are natural rocks jutting out. make sure you have something to hang your garden hose on - neat and tidy is the name of the game. and make sure all your garden tools, fertilisers, etc.. are out of sight. The trick is to create the subconscious impression that the gardens are maintenance free. A lot of little things add up to a big difference. removing all cobwebs is a big plus. no one will notice the lack of cobwebs - but their presence is another story. clean/replace any corroded taps, remove any fly poo that is visible, is your roof visible? if so, clean it - get the leaves off. Chimney? repaint. polishing wood inside, cleaning windows, replacing dead or dirty light bulbs, replacing tired lampshades...etc. think of it as rejuvenation rather than renovation. make sure gutters are clean - they may need a paint or part replacing if corroded. same with downpipes. clean all accumulated dust. Repaint the low brick wall on the left under the fence - a nice fresh white - make it all "shine". I used to do landscaping/gardening - with a particular focus on helping people prepare their homes for presentation when they wished to sell. A bit of elbow grease goes a long way to bringing in the offers. fresh dark mulch can really improve a garden - ask your garden supplier which one will fade the least. Don't get anything too fine as the wind can blow it around. spend the time to first dig any edges down at least 75 mm before putting the fresh mulch on so that sand doesn't come through. think about how much preparation you want to do before each home open though. If you put down black mulch - there will be a lot of work getting leaves off it each week, otherwise it would be best to not go down that route. Ants? if so - get the ant powder out. otherwise they bring sand up and mess up the nice dark mulch. and... clean those windows again. best of luck

Hi Liz, you could try carpet roses, loropetulum ‘Chinese fringe flower’ or rhaphiolepsis ‘snow maiden’ all gorgeous maybe add water crystals when planting to keep plants moist in between watering.