When approached to deliver this planter; we were provided with a brief to create a lush, tropical garden to suit the Melbourne skyline.

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With a spectacular view, we needed to develop a design which retained the outlook while creating a feeling of lushness for the client in the foreground.

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Added to the unique challenge was a requirement to use the owners existing pot plants. Dracena, Frangipani, Philodendrons, chilli plants and existing herbs.

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We used these plants as a starting place; and curated the rest of the planting design to blend with the existing plants to not overwhelm the space with too much variety. We stuck to varying hues of green, opting to omit the more gaudy colours that can often be found in tropical plants.

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Lichen covered rocks & thick branches from a tropical vine, Pandorea, were used to add an additional subtle layer of nature to the garden in an otherwise very man-made space.

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To prevent the garden from being lost to the illuminated skyline at night, we designed a simple lighting scheme. Two black uplights, one to cast light directly onto one of the rocks & the other to shine up through a Ficus.

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A recessed LED strip light was installed along the base of the planter which activates the balcony at night, allowing for social use with a warm upward glow.

The cables that power the garden lighting were all installed in black conduit & hidden in inconspicuous places to prevent visually cluttering the space.

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Having opted for a lower planter - this balcony has a shallower growing substrate than we often install, making regular watering a requirement. The client has a green thumb and chose not to install an irrigation system for this garden, preferring the connection with nature enjoyed while hand watering.