To be frank, I think the raised wall waterfall as it is situated, and the palms flanking it, are space-destroying elements. These elements are placed in the prime "window" to the water views. Now all of the water view is broken up into small, less important looking segments. We use nature's ideas (like a grove of trees) in order to make artistic statements in the landscape that have some power. The grove is a single element made up of many small parts. Adding parts that are of a different artistic family will not make the whole element read stronger, but weaker. Suppose you are creating a hardwood floor. Would it look better to intermix many wood types -- oak, cherry, bamboo, etc.? It would look like a bargain basement mess! Your present groups of palms are single lines of widely spaced palms. To me they look skimpy even after I've added more. If anything, I'd consider beefing them up with even a couple more -- of same type plants -- to each group. Calling tubs of color a "container garden" makes it sound like a planter with a lot of variety. I think it would be much more powerful to have planters that contain a single variety, and possibly repeat them where there is room for another planter. These are the kinds of things that are figured out more or less toward the end of the planning process (since they are like furniture) after you know what space is available and where the permanently installed elements will be. For #6, what I mean by large flowering shrub is ... a large shrub that flowers! :-) The intent is to screen the neighbor's pool cage and give a sense of privacy. Therefore, it must be a shrub that is tall enough to do that. Well, why not specify that the shrub puts on a show at least once per year? And actually, it could be SMALL trees combined with a hedge behind, or some such thing. Or it could be an evergreen screen that doesn't flower but just looks really good anyway. The main idea is that is screens and looks good.

Not trying to be difficult. You are there and can see everything easily, but it is very difficult to connect the pictures and things talked about to the plan, which is in pieces. In spite of my lack of confidence in understand what you have and what you're asking about, here's a suggestion for how you might smooth out the bed around the pool area a bit, by adding to the outside of the fence. (I think that's what you're saying you can do.) It's the yellow lines. I think you're asking about filling in the bed along the right perimeter so it connects to the far back plantings. (Blue arrow area.) If that's the case, I think you could make the perimeter a solid bed in & throughout that area. But I don't think I would bring plants into the broad grass path that surround the pool area and divides it from the perimeter. Does that address your question? BTW, in taking pictures to show what you have, it's important to stand at an area where you can see the totality of what is being discussed and asked about. Then you pan the ENTIRE scene. It looks like you started to do that with your first 3 pictures, but the camera is changing viewpoints (I tried to put the pictures together but they won't go) and it stops short of finishing the far left and far right ends of the scene (at least as far as I can tell.) The far right and left is what gives context and helps the viewer get the sense of where they are in the picture. This just FYI.

Sometimes you have to work with what you have. If you address the soft landscape and vertical space it will detract from the concrete deck. Be grateful that the deck is neutral and now painted aquamarine blue. I would take out the raise bed with the artificial turf and remove all of the small pots and small planting beds. Fill any cracks in the deck and have it smoothed out so that the pool coping is refreshed and more of a feature. You could also skim coat the brick wall to create more of a stucco wall or cover with wood to add a warmer texture to the backyard. I would de-emphasize them by putting tall, container friendly trees along the wall. All uniform, same size, colour, shape and the same trees. You could do the same thing with grasses. Vines could be used to disguise the wall and to create vertical interest. Columnar trees could work in containers if you choose dwarf varieties. Grasses are inexpensive and can be very architectural and bring in colour and shapes. But repeating the same plant in the same container simplifies the landscape and is pleasing to the eye. You will find that the deck becomes a none issue after you pare back on the different types of plant. I would keep the multi coloured bush in your third picture it has a nice shape and colour. Just clear out everything around the base and put rocks with a few small shrubs (three of the same should do it) to make that tree the focal point. But only plant at the widest section of the planting bed. The undulating bed wall is a bit outdated. If you could remove it and then use rocks in the bed around the tree with more grasses that would update it. Limit your yard to 3 -5 different plants and repeat, repeat, repeat. You're lucky to have a pool and ample room for entertaining. You just have too many different things going on. Enjoy.

I had a pool ... based on my experience, I'd put more space between the home and the pool, so that the main "seating" can be in that area. Then, expand the side area (where the seating currently is) to give people options/allow for additional sunbathing or seating under the awning or in the sun.