You must be in a tropical zone - I see palm trees .What zone are you in ? How long do you plan to live in this house and are you married to the grass ? How long and wide is the garden ? Can you make a shot from the fence toward the house ( house in center ) ?

We had a landscaper come in and draw a plan. Re-used the whole bricks into a grid pattern, and filled the squares with concrete. This summer's job is to build the bench seats around the outside for a seating area. The flat surface has been great for our children - they learned to ride their bikes out here, and love decorating it :-)

No your roof can't support that weight, it's designed to hold the weight of shingles only. You will need to contact a structural engineer to come up with a plan to support the additional load.

What do they want to achieve , and what is their budget ? just to get ideas rolling , if it was my place , I would offer the following -- -- the garage looks a a different style and different shade of grey . I'd repaint in the same grey . -- I'd paint the front door in a brilliant red , and the narrow garage door surrounds in the same colour -- tie it in a bit better . -- 'Hide' the four flaxes the same shape and colour ? I'd add 3 or 4 tall or bright easycare plants -- a cactus , a yukka , a native , get some variety , maybe even remove a flax or two . -- I'd add a couple of big 'egyptian' pots , at least 800mm wide and at least a metre tall , one each side of the driveway ( on the grass ) , placed so they look random . Fill with a mix of plants of your choice -- at least some in red shades to tie in with the front door . -- I'd price a light covering of tar / asphalt over the driveway , to tidy it more . A good start on a budget , hopefully under $10K ?