Much as urban consolidation is somewhat unpleasant, I guess in a few hundred or thousand years someone will likely appreciate it. I've often thought (and the theory might not withstand serious scrutiny) that if the English didn't run such an inequitable class system for so long, with laws about who was allowed to fish or hunt, and the lower classes packed into certain areas etc, they wouldn't have the open green space and such that they do today..so I guess for the environment's sake, and I suppose the economy (goodness knows we have enough trouble maintaining reasonable essential services as it is), not to mention the hordes of people moving into our major cities, packing us in close together has it's merits....but just the same, I am very glad that we are lucky enough to have this block.

That's beautiful, Bill. You really do have an eye for design (and skill with the seccateurs!). Devon I was also thinking maybe a trellis of "star jasmine" - Trachelospermum jasminoides - in fact if there is a way to increase the fence height with a trellis (and the neighbour is agreeable and that doesn't require council approval) then there are a number of climbers that could fill in the gaps while something like star jasmine was establishing. It can be clipped, is quite dense and has the advantage of a sweet flowering.

Wow - this thread has really taken off, hasnt it ? Thanks again to everyone for their suggestions. I am reasonably au fait with most of the suggestions for the feature tree, with the exception of the bottle tree, but plants such as Native Gardenia are something of an unknown. I am also very wary of the impact of the Rocky sun on many rainforest species, even those marked 'full sun' : establishing the microclimate which allows these plants to take full sun is probably better left to species such as acacia and melaleuca. Experience has taught me that there are exceptions, and the Penda in my last garden has gone from strength to strength in the furnace that is our afternoon sun - its currently alive with yellow flowers and is bushy right to its bootstraps. I have recommended the various E. Ficifolia / E. Ptychocarpa hybrids (now Corymbias, I believe) to my friend, but the grafted rootstock seems to constrain them to no more than 5-6 metres, and I believe that I need something more in the 12m plus range to shield the front of the house from the blistering afternoon sun. It also needs to be sufficiently dense at the top to make 'worthwhile' shade, without being a menace to people standing beneath it. Ultimately, it will come down to the stock that Fitzroy Nurseries have in May - most of the other nurseries just dont persist with anything larger than 14" pots. I'll let you know how I get on. Cheers, Artie

Normally, I would repeat my mantra (all too familiar to regulars on this forum) : Syz. Aussie Southern Xanthostemon Chrysanthus Waterhousea Floribunda As I said : *normally*. Living in Rockhampton, I dont have to deal with too many frosts, so I'll have to hand you over to those members from your neck of the woods. We did have a lively discussion re. Pittosporum a short while ago, and I'm sure that there is a native (yes, Aussie native) species which will meet your needs. Good luck, Artie