We managed to (almost) finish the garden steps. We found a bargain nursery yesterday and were very surprised to discover the owners are Brits!
I took the photos from the patio area, so there will be more pots dotted around to make the patio a bit more colourful. The plants on the steps look a bit stiff, as they haven't had time to relax and become accustomed to their new home.
When the patio starts looking decent, with table, chairs, parasol and some plants, I'll post more photos.
We are pleased with results so far. There are still bits and bobs to be done around the steps, like planting tallish shrubs to the right of them to hide the ugly concrete blocks, but that will have to wait a while. The important thing is that we have easier access to the garden and it looks much, much nicer than before...
(I didn't plant anything in the chamber pot in the end. We simply filled it with sand and use it as an ashtray.)