Two plants I can suggest that I have chosen for my garden, are virtually unkillable, will grow in almost ANY soil or weather conditions & require little maintenance are: butterfly/african iris & Celtic Cascade tree. Both can be left to go a little wild for a natural look, or be cared for, to fit perfectly in a more formal garden. In regards to the iris, I removed my entire garden of mature, property damaging trees when I moved into my new house, but didn't want to wait years for a new mature garden, so I searched online for ppl selling/giving fully grown specimens away before they did renovations or re landscaped! The plants were a cinch to dig up, replant in my heavy clay soil & are thriving! I even cut some of them in half before planting and it didn't phase them!

You have the ultimate blank canvas there and it is really all up to your tastes and budget! Here's an example of a side yard project we worked on. The steppers leading to a paved area could work for you. Also, an example of recycled planters for vegetables in a side courtyard. With the backyard, you have the opportunity to build a deck at your house floor level and extend it further than your existing roof cover. It looks like you have services or an easement along the rear boundary, which will determine how far off the boundary you will need the decking to be. You could have a 2.5m or so garden bed along the boundary to give you a row of plants for some softening and boundary screening. The block slopes away from the alfresco area so you may need to look at some low retaining walls to create a small level lawn area which then leads to the side of the house. Good luck with your project!

I would decide what you actually need in a backyard as a starting point, such as a clothes drying area, vegetable garden, sandpit, kids play area, BBQ, outdoor entertaining deck etc. Look at how the sunny spots and shady spots change during the day. Think about the balance between hard surfaces (like decking and paving) to soft surfaces, such as lawns and garden beds. Consider the relationship of the rooms at the rear of the house to the backyard with potential views, and vistas. Consider what is currently over the fence, and what you can do to disguise what you don't want to see (such as your neighbours ugly garage). Also consider if there is redevelopment potential next door that may overshadow or overlook your back garden in the future. Think of the functions of your back garden as a series of outdoor "rooms" and the relationship to each other, and to your house. Your drying area may be in a sunny spot, that isn't overlooked from your dining room, but not too far from the laundry door. If you have young kids you may want to be able to see their play area/sandpit from the kitchen. Locate your BBQ area, outdoor entertaining area which gets the afternoon sun and not too far from the kitchen. Or engage a landscape designer to help you get your thoughts and budget organised. You have lots of scope and opportunities with such a blank canvas. Photos courtesy of Davidson Design Studio http://www.davidsondesignstudio.com.au/ Best of luck, Dr Retro

Have you considered decking? You can use the different heights to your advantage the deck could be stepped or platforms. It looks like you already have a deck you can extend that and if you don’t use that entrance where the pillows are I’d get rid of it. I assume you have a doorway onto your current deck you could enlarge that with cantilevered doors which would open up the whole area.