Its a great space, the step up is not a problem ,I would use a deck in the garden center,covering both levels with a garden bed surround , with the step been at the front full width of the garden ,you really need to see a design on paper,I did a similar space a few years ago,and it worked out really well.having one level will give you space to entertain and have some pieces of outdoor furniture etc,the garden bed can be made to accommodate what ever you need plant wise.the beauty of a timber deck,is it can go straight over what you have ,just the garden area needs to be prepared.easy to construct, and is an all year space.It also keeps the garden simple and not to many different materials.

Ok, it’s been a little while since we left off on the garden project, however as we’re approaching spring we’re keen to get the space cleaned up for spring. To open up the space we’ve removed the middle two bar fence and relocated the beech hedging to the screen the remaining fencing. The aim being to create more privacy and blend into the landscape behind. To add security we was thinking of adding gravel and rockery / water feature (not pond) to the righthand side near the gate. Opposite create a gravel area for the stone bench and dot a few ball shrubs and a Victorian lamp for interest. Uplighter’s will be used to illuminate the hedge. In the main section of the garden add one or two trees on the section on the righthand side to create some privacy from the neighbours line of sight into the bench area. Thereafter add more ball shrubs, lupine and foxgloves to create height. Apply a horizontal slat fence (painted a muted sage green) to tidy up the bad side of the existing fence. All borders will be edged with a slim red brick to match the house and make it easier for moving. Finally to mask the shed, introduce some rose bushes and lavender.

I do agree that bamboo is lovely, and removing the lower leaves like Emmanuelle is a great way of showing off the stems. Sadly my experience with different types in the ground has *always* been that they become invasive. Obviously your mileage may vary, as they say, but it is worth being cautious. Putting them in pots or long planters should be fine on the invasion front (sorry), but just be aware that in that case they will need a fair amount of water. Other than that, they are not particularly high maintenance, sweeping up dry leaves from time to time, that's it, really.

Its almost impossible to give you good advice with just a pic of the corner. Please post another pic showing the whole patio and more of the garden. You could place a corner planter on the edge of the patio. It would need to be weighty though. Placing a planter or pots on the grass will kill it underneath unless that is not a problem? I would be inclined to get a small low fence just for the corner and drill some bolts into your paving to fix it. It could be removed when no longer required. Your patio could have had a curved corner to avoid this problem if it had been planned from the outset.