Recently we dressed up the balcony of Prime’s office in Lismore and I’ve got to tell you, the conditions out there can be really tough for plants. You’ve got the hot sun beaming down and reflecting off all those hard surfaces as well as strong damaging winds at times. So it’s important when creating gardens like these to select a handful of tough yet attractive plants and repeat them to create the best visual impact.

Topiaries add strong bold shapes in a small balcony garden and one of the best plants to use is buxus or English box plants. They can go long periods without a drink and the hot sun and wind won’t bother them at all.

Liriope ‘Evergreen Giant’ is another top performer in these situations. Their simple strappy leaves will contrast the rounded form of the sculptured buxus beautifully and they add a nice little bit of movement when there’s a breeze about.

We wanted some colour there too so we chose to use Bambino Bougainvilleas. The great thing about Bambino bougainvilleas is that they’re extremely compact and with a bit of regular pruning and the occasional feed, they’ll provide you with colour on and off throughout the year.

All of the plants we featured would be perfect for growing in a pot on a patio or deck as well.

Thankyou to 'The Yardbirds' for the fabulous job in planting up the garden at Prime News Magellan Street Lismore. To get the Yardbirds round to tidy up your garden, phone:

Jodie: 0402 122 036 or Vic: 0427 049 077

Perfect Patio Plants available at all good retailers.