I have just read an article that says that open plan living has had it's day and people are wanting to return to more separate 'zones' and one of the suggested ways to achieve this was a sunken living room, it continued by showing photos of recent houses constructed with them, and as I quite like the idea! But I do wonder about all the extra unnecessary trips and falls that will happen! And it's not practical if there are elderly friends or relatives who visit regularly.

Hi Sheila, what a gorgeous outlook! i would consider Planting out a low hedge as your boundary the same as the one adjoining the church walls. If your not sure what it is, a local nursery could help with a broken branch, my reason is to try and connect establishment and your homes new landscape, so that it doesn't feel like new and old. I think blending between might be nice. I would urge you to not keep your boundaries square and obvious, instead, layer in front of this low, dense hedgerow, with perhaps balls of trimmed wistringea, also known as coastral Rosemary, it is soft, greyish green with small little lilac flowers, it's also a native that with tolerate the cool winters and hot summers well. I know it to be a quick grower, and cheap to establish. clipped into clusters of balls, it becomes sculptural, and I would continue that idea by mass planting around your borders with interesting layers of foliage. incorporate local stone, which the church is surely built from, in the form of bench seating, random paving, or stone boulders in your beds, ground covers are carefree, interesting and low maintenance, things like euphorbia, with white subtle flowers look like snow on the ground, clumps of lambs ear around pebble pathways are soft, tactile and silver, they blend between the ground cover up to the low lying shrubbery, and the occasional tree. i would build a post and beam structure out your alfresco with perhaps a Boston ivy planted to cover it, or maybe a wisteria in white, the Boston ivy turns from green to red in autumn and is striking against stone. reclaimed timbers even railways sleepers might provide the rustic touch the church provides. Being a small area, I think a crushed granite pebbleb could be sufficient in your back area, with gardens not defined with borders, they could cascade over the edges, softening any man made lines, use random stone pavers crazy paving where a harder surface is needed underfoot. It will be low maintenance, and can grow a ground over between them, in time, this will become your greenery to an otherwise almost fully paved entertaining area. I think the gorgeous gum in your background could provide your colour palette, greys, blues and lilacs, with white as a standout accent in your chosen flowers, if any. try not to formalise too much, keep things free flowing and create generous beds, so your outdoor area feels a part of the surrounding landscape, and not just put in for barrier. I would use some clever, and cheeky lighting, both in your yard to highlight your topiary balls, your alfresco and that gum tree, so the ghostly trunks are a real showstopper by night, and without fences, spotlight to angle at the adjoining stone church, and highlight it by night to your benefit. I agree you can tell a story with your landscape, but not everyone wants to delve into a deep and meaningful connect ion with their project, sometimes a story already exists that you just want to sit back and appreciate rather than write a new one. Be mindful of the church, it's contribution to your landscape and how you can passively connect to it. i would first get a list together of some plants thT youse locally and are beautiful to you, also look at the churches gardens, and if there's anyway you can link into its architect, or garden in some sort of tribute to it. good luck, can't wait to see more.

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The period and style of your home suggests gravel as the medium of use. Grey, not blue and fine. Some products have clay 'fines' amongst the small gravel that enables the product to compact really well when laid properly. You can push prams etc over it without a problem. Paving and concrete cause drainage problems with runoff warranting drainage to accommodate excessive run off. Gravel and aggregates absorb the water. The cost is much cheaper but also looks totally better. The sustainable alternative is always about thinking differently.