Terrace talk - first principles

The work on the terraces above and beyond the pond has turned into a much bigger project than I had originally thought, and so perhaps I ought to go back to the beginning and explain a bit better what I am trying to do. Or rather what my garden adviser - the first time in my life that I have had any help in the garden - has been helping me to develop. My adviser is a local vivaista who trained at the famous gardens of Tor San Lorenzo south of Rome where she acquired a sympathy for the 'English' style of gardening which is totally different from most Italians'. The vision we have is for the newly created hillside to act as a backdrop to the pond and complement its 'natural' look at the same time as presenting colour and interest all year round. At the level of the pond alongside the wood we aim to put a barrier of plants that enhances the feeling of privacy that the woodland trees already provide and to soften the transition from water to woodland. The planting should mirror the local garrigue and bring the olive grove closer to the pond so it looks like it has all been there forever. Last but not least, the planting should be drought and frost resistance so as to need relatively little watering or maintenance. But whilst we have a very clear picture in our minds of what we want to create, neither of us wants to constrain our thinking by drawing up too detailed a plan. Y