Don't use weedkiller in any circumstances, it pollutes your environment, kills insects , bees, mycelium etc and gets into the food chain. The best way to get rid of weeds is to alter your attitude to them . The definition of a weed is an unwanted plant. So ... here,s what to do.Dig out any large perrenial weeds. As previous comments , rotovate soil to remove any compaction. Add topsoil and add sharp sand. So here,s the thing , if you regularly mow your lawn i.e. once a week , it will kill the weeds, because unlike grass most plants cannot sustain being repeatedly cut back,and don,t worry about the odd weed here and there

Had some thoughts about your garden and came up with a rough sketch:) (see pic). Decking outside the garden office would look nice but I’m not sure about bringing it all the way to the house as decking can take a fair amount of maintenance although you can get composite decking or slabs that look like wood which would probably be easier to look after. I think breaking it up and having some planting would be nice and more pleasing to look at. So on the sketch I brought the decking to surround the office windows then added a small seating area and space for planting which could include a small pond or water feature. This could be like a contemplation area where you can relax and have a tea break:) Instead of decking pathway I think slabs or tiles to match the patio would be better. The patio I’ve kept as is but extended a little to include bbq area. Did think that putting the bbq on the right side of patio might be good as well. Put in some extra planting areas but that’s just because I like plants:) planting pocket is basically a hole in the deck but some tall grasses or similar with lighting would look great on the left side of the office and help to balance things out. Not sure on a pergola mainly because I think adding another tall structure on the left would make that side of the garden seem overly busy but it’s entirely up to you what you want. Anyway hope this gives you some fresh ideas:) P.s. sketch is not to scale.

Hi Joanna. Yes, in the first initial sketch the shaded area is lawn. Did some more sketches (excuse my funky carpet😄) with some variations on initial designs. However looking at your photos again the trampoline is a little larger than I thought it was so please take this into account. Best thing to do is try out different layouts by measuring and marking the ground. You can do this with pegs and string, spray paint, hosepipe, planks of wood, whatever you have to hand really 🙂. A good size for a patio is usually about 3 meters but it depends what you want so it’s a good idea to measure garden furniture etc. then have at least 60 cm extra space around it, then you can work it out from there. Also a good idea to collect images of gardens (google, Pinterest, Houzz, etc.) with styles you that appeal to you and note down what you like about them. Hot tub? Mmmmm, they’re quite expensive to install and need a good amount of upkeep so it depends how much use you think you’d get from it. I personally think no, because of its position it would be overlooked by neighbours but it’s entirely your choice. Anyway here’s my sketches (click photos to enlarge). Hopefully they’re self explanatory but remember they’re just to give you some ideas and feel free to plan things how you want them. Sketch 1 would probably the most suited for your needs. It’s quite adaptable and should be relatively easy for landscapers to achieve. Note the wide pathway and arch which are central to this design and be aware that it may leave you with a postage stamp sized lawn which you could choose to remove altogether and instead use large planting beds for greenery. Best of luck with your garden and if you have any plant query’s then myself, Sonia and other Houzzers may be able to help.

I think you can either have a design that is architectural with square hard landscaping or a cottage garden and embrace the romanticism of blousy flowers and soft curves…… but anywhere in the middle just looks like a watered down idea, suburban and ordinary. I say pick a style and go for it. You probably have chosen the office for the end of the garden and the style of that will likely help you realise your style. I do however think that in the same way as you would not choose just one plant you can also vary the materials used on your hard landscaping for visual interest