Hi Audrey. Have you looked through houzz or magazines to see what styles you like? Do you want contemporary, meditteranean etc? I've had a look on your Ideabook and can only see 2 garden pics. Are there are any particular features you want like a pergola , water feature or fireplace etc or are you just looking to add interest and soften the boundary? What do you also want from the garden, do you enjoy gardening or want something low maintenance? Do you want a big socialising area or just a small seating area/s. What way does the garden face as it may be best to put a patio or decked area where it gets the most sun and for someone to advise on plants ( not me!) will need to know, plus soil type. As always a lot depends on budgets as gardens aren't particularly cheap!

For plants - you could have some beautiful Japanese Maples, Herbs and Vegetables, Exotic Palms, some complimentary Hedging, Fruit Trees, Exotic Bamboo, Roses, Ornamental Trees or even Bay Trees!

Or possibly awnings, garden furniture, water features and heaters for some quality outdoor living :)

Create some interest by breaking the garden into different rooms each with it's own purpose. You need some height as this will focus interest inside the garden away from the surrounding houses. Use trees or a pergola. If you work out where the sunniest spot is create your seating area here and put a pergola over it then cover with scented climbers that flower at different times of the year. You can use trellis, hedging, or pleached trees to disguise the oil tank. Some simple trellis attached to wooden uprights with some evergreen climbers (Trachelospermum jasminoides works well) will help to blend the oil tank into the garden.

Use some raised borders to give the garden interest and create different areas. Different textures will make the garden more interesting. Using stone (in the paving), wood for the upright structures, and of course grass and plants will make the garden more interesting and help to set the house into its plot.

Hi Audrey, have you made a start yet? Looking at the Ideabooks in your profile Linsey Evans Garden Design has a good point and some good ideas. Breaking up what must now look like a dauntingly large, featureless, open space is a positive way to suit your tastes.

It would be useful to see a picture of the unseen part of the garden, taken from the corner shown, to get a clearer idea of the whole, some idea of the overall dimensions and which way is north (or south, east or west, we can work out the others) before suggesting specifics.

Just two immediate observations though. The oil tank would be better hidden altogether than disguised. A simple close board panel matching the existing fence would do the trick. Or perhaps two making an L shape against the fence, leaving one end open for access? For planting, does the garden get any shelter, especially form the north to east aspects? For instance, Trachelospermum jasminoides (Star Jasmine) is rather tender for what looks from your picture to be a somewhat exposed garden. There are several hardy climbing flowering plants which would do the job equally well, evergreen and deciduous.

You have an open canvas of a project. I wish you luck and a fair wind with it. Please keep us informed with progress and post further questions as you go.