Wow!!! thank you so much for responding and for the ideas. Cyn222 I love your drawing of the area I think I might try that one in another spot , I wanted to have an area for a memorial seat, your drawing looks lovely and I think it’ll suit a spot just up the path. It’ll look down over the pond. I'm going to have to work out plan as I learnt that lesson once before. lol. I did wonder about a swing, the large tree sits on the top of a bank, it then goes down about 8 meters. It’s reeeeeally steep. I do like the idea of secret gardens and seats along the tracks. I was tossing up about a waterfall over in the far corner. Since the water flows down a stream and then though the overgrown swamp at the bottom. Gez I wish money grew on trees, lol. Actually I call them ponds but they are really dams on a natural water way. Decoenthusiaste, Thank you, you made a very good point about starting with the ponds and working out. I think you are right. It’ll probably take me awhile to tidy up the area. I’ll also have to check what kind of wild flowers are around as I'm sure there must be some. It would look nice with a bit of colour, I never thought of that. The ground down at the bottom is swampy like wet lands. I also wondered about board walks through it. We are building soon on the land, so this will be the back yard. There is also lot of native bush. Here’s a photo from the side of the pond. I’ll have to get it cleaned up somehow and figure out the best way to improve the water quality. If I start with that 1st, and then do the memorial garden I can then work from there. Lol I’m keen on getting the ashes out of the cupboard. Thanks, you both have given me direction, I appreciate it.

Hi Dalene, the colour is technically not black but a dark charcoal grey. Anything in that colour tone paired with a timber benchtop will steer towards that industrial look - just use a lighter shade of a cool grey (similar to the one in the Garden St Residence) and perhaps bring in some black accents in the tapware and drawer handles for some punch.

We’ve just moved into a new built. Is relatively private, but I’d like to add curtains to the kitchen/living area. It’s got sliding doors on two sides. The splash back in the kitchen is gecko green (which we rather like. Final comment, the garden is yet to be established, but it will be lushly and green. Any suggestions for curtains?

i changed my setting to OZ as i was told there are not a lot of kiwis here on the forum to give advice:) hopefully some wonderful aussies can help me:)