Will do, got lots of prep to do before all this goes ahead and then it's slabs everywhere. No more cutting grass.
I’d break up the area of slabs with a few areas that you can fill with gravel / stones and you can stand the pots there. A completely slabbed rear garden could look like a prison exercise yard.
There will be a curved raised area with a border and some gravel at the side so plenty of angles to break it up. Looking forward to having it all done, taking our time now picking furniture (and plants).
Gravel is great as long as it’s nowhere that it is walked on or near an entrance to the house. Also make sure if it’s on dirt you lay membrane first, it’ll save you hassle with weeds later on. They’ll still grow but they pull out of pure gravel much easier.
Pro tip: if you are absolutely set on having a gravel garden or drive go for a larger mm stone to avoid as much movement and walking it into the house. Pea shingle might seem like a good idea but I guarantee you’ll be taking it up within a couple of years.
Another odd tip: if you have wisteria and haven’t pruned it already this year let it flower in spring and go for a summer prune (July/August), you’ve missed prime pruning season and given how long it can take to flower it’s not worth the risk of late pruning.
To be fair if you plant it in a big pot (go for 50L plus if you want a proper tree) move it for optimum sunlight, give good drainage and take care of it and then replant in good soil/compost with decent feed in its final position (as you say in a good sunny spot [without a good location it simply won’t grow properly in our climate]) then you can still cultivate a proper olive tree from a pot. Though bare in mind they are slow growing. The key benefit of pot growing is you can move into a conservatory during periods of frost. The reality is in the UK (not taking into account climate change which is having a huge effect on the success of native and non-native species at the moment) you can’t guarantee that a naturally Mediterranean species will adapt to your garden. If it’s south facing and in a warmer part of the country that’s ideal but given luv is in Wales (though I’ve seen olive trees in Yorkshire doing quite well) there is no guarantee of success. My advice would be to go for an olive tree - they are surprisingly hardy - but not expect it will turn into the kind of full blown fruit tree that you see in photos. Besides, the work to turn them into the kind you eat isn’t worth it for what you’ll yeald from home grown plants. But as an aesthetic addition to a garden they look great and if potted near entrances to your garden are far nicer than the standard lollipop bay that most people go for. (Just don’t expect them to turn into much more than they currently are if using them aesthetically rather than focusing on their health and longevity as a plant).
Another top tip - don't go for @Treble 's bamboo plants. Bamboo tends to attract snakes and mosquitoes. It won't be much fun watching your little dog get devoured by a hungry python, although on the upside you will probably win that week's photo competition.