VERY creative, useful and sophisticated as well! I like the subtlety of the trunk color against the lighter wall. Have you considered designing these as a PT job???

Lighting - pendants over the servery bench should be another feature that complements your chosen kitchen surfaces. So whilst I love the copper pendants in picture 1.. They could work depending on the rest of your decor and would be a highlight in a neutral white/timber kitchen = Good! If you choose copper you would complement it with a couple of copper bench top items. These are beautiful! (I collect copper because I love it, my kitchen pendants are silver, I renovated to sell in the next 3-5 years) You will see a picture starting to form in your mind and there is nothing wrong with making a statement with your lighting. I found that when I wasn't sure I would get a very strong sense of what was right and what was wrong for a space, then common sense or passion would determine the outcome! Here are another couple that might work, look her on Houzz under lighting, search pendants, then have fun looking!Timber tones with black or white to complement your cabinets... or Statement white pendants for a bit of quirky fun! Your personality can be reflected in your lighting and accessories creating that point of difference from the predictable white on timber look. Plus don't forget the power of greenery to punctuate the theme!

We've recently shifted into a re-developed 1980s home. This front garden has been stripped of former shrubs and trees and re-planted. There is nice topsoil for about and 3-5cm, then it's very wet, clay-like and difficult to dig. There are a lot of notorious weeds including clover, buttercup and two types of ivy. The jasmine (creeper in the centre) is going because we suffer hay fever. I'm considering an evergreen clematis in it's place. I'm concerned that some of these shrubs will grow much too big for the spot. I'm not really fond of some of the low growing ones either. And my biggest concern is the soil... So, BIGgest question number one: should I remove all of these plants and treat the soil? It needs a good rotary hoe, compost dug in, covered with weedmat for a season in an effort to kill off the weeds... etc etc I could pot the shrubs and either keep them for replanting when the garden is ready, or sell them. I'd like to include some sort of feature (stone item?) and a pretty small ornamental like a japanese maple or maybe crab apple. Maybe some sort of rockery, or being part shady could include some woodland plants instead.. Or even a short meandering path as the garden is quite wide (and my 4yo loves to run through it of course...) I guess what I do with it the options are endless. Probably worth noting that this garden is alongside our front path and front entranceway. But is it worth ripping out those shrubs and starting over with the soil, or do I leave the soil be and simply re-arrange what is there? Thanks for your help!

I've got three established avocado trees, two are over 10 years old. This year they have suffered a big change in foliage with some rusted and what appear to be eaten or damaged leaves. It is dropping a lot of leaves too. They seemed to take a turn after winter, but they usually bounce back in late spring with the new growth. I can't seem to find any obvious small insects on the leaves but I'm basically treating it as either root rot, or maybe mites? Any advice on treating this, or are they gone? All the new leaf growth is being affected and is curling up, blackening around the edges. There has not been any significant frosts in a couple months. I'm based in Lower Hutt, so not ideal for avocado trees with the wind and winter frosts. But the trees have definitely been fairly healthy until this year.