Be aware that artificial turf can get very hot underfoot. You could lay a narrow old brick or limestone paver path to clothes line for easy access and plant ground covers or low profile herbs (eg.oregano and thyme) to use in cooking. Hardy herbs or flowers such as rosemary, lavender, geraniums against the edges of the space toward the back. Even add some large long troughs of flowers on the retaining wall to pretty up the area. It looks like it could get quite warm there but maybe a jasmine or similar climber to climb up a frame attached to the part of the large wall where there is no clothes line. Good luck, it will be a lovely space I'm sure once you get started.

That looks like it. Some call it crazy paving. It usually gets laid over compacted paving sand/s. The joins between each flagstone are usually concrete with the edges concreted so it stays in place. I have seen some with sand between the joins which also looks good. New sandstone from Gosford Quarries looks superb but is expensive. (its a great product!). I'd look for some second hand stuff on Ebay/Gumtree/etc.

Hi Aletla, If your apartment is part of a strata make sure that you get their permission before painting anything (best ask then fall foul of them as many courtyards are deemed as common property for exclusive use meaning that the Strata has the last word). If you get permission, I'd be tempted to lean towards a mid gray the same colour as the exterior building so that you're able to blur the lines between vertical and horizontal areas and make the area look bigger. You could think about putting in modular decking that will change the look of your courtyard that can be pulled up and that can be stained to any colour you pick. You would have to ask your strata but if you let them know it's modular and can be pulled up when you leave they should be OK with that as long as it cant be seen easily from outside the property boundaries. Regarding putting up shade - strata will not have any problem if you invest in a large outdoor umbrella as long as you make sure that it doesn't become a hazard during high winds/storms - you wont have to ask them. You can put up outdoor awnings but you'll need to get permission, supply all the engineering specs and your Strata may have restrictions regarding colour and style and may require you to: provide a structural engineers report on the impact, indemnify the building and put the awning on your insurance (a lot of work) and if necessary pay for a change of by-law. If you decide that you cant/don't want to change the colour of your outdoor flooring and as beige and grays are really popular, you could always tie the two together more with outdoor cushions for your seating that feature both of the colours. If you can get a high pressure hose and remove dirt and flaking paint to see exactly what the condition of the tiles are, you could ask your strata to pay for their reconditioning (if you offer to paint them and give them the colour and say you're happy to pay for that then they'll probably say "OK" to avoid costs to the strata as they're responsible for the external parts of your building - remember you only own the airspace of your apartment).

Any imported soil will cause problems with the longevity of plants that you choose. You are always better off working with the existing soil on the site. Because of changes, I would suggest that you consider getting a professional in to have a look at that site. You have a slope towards the fence which is going to cause a problem and the garden bed that you have constructed only looks as though it is about 50cm wide. This is nowhere near wide enough to get any plant to grow to fence height. Unless you grow bamboo which is expensive and wont like the imported soil. And even then this plant will increase beyond 50cm - even the clumping forms. As for the Chinese Elm - these can become massive trees. Taller shrubs, like Callistemon pallidus could have the stems trimmed and retain the canopy and being native will be more tolerant of soils and conditions. Professional advice is needed here. And get an older person who has had years or experience and is a horticulturist.