The large outdoor space is what convinced us to buy this apartment in 2010.

Since Garden Designfest 2011, the plant palette has changed somewhat, becoming more eclectic and perhaps less designed!

Mark’s vegetable garden remains and continues to provide for us throughout the year.

The upper layer still includes holm oaks, standard bay trees and the rare African Schrebera alata located opposite the NE corner of the apartment.

 These have since been joined by three deciduous trees: Cercis ‘Spring Snow’, Albizzia rosea and a white flowering Lagerstroemia.

The trees and the cantilevered umbrella, imply an overhead layer, a sense of enclosure and help separate the spaces for food production, dining, relaxation and entertaining as well as a morning sun area.

The mid-height and lower-level pots are more varied now and include perennials, especially those attractive to bumble bees as we have a nest each summer.

Large Italian pots hold a range of citrus varieties in our morning area where a current passion - blue flowering cranesbills - are used as an underplanting to attract pollinators.

Elements to successfully attract birds include:

• trees help to link green pathways through a very built area and shelter for flocks of Tauhou (waxeye/silvereye)

• the water bowl, so popular with blackbirds and sparrows

• any newly planted pots with exposed soil to provide worms!

Design: Jo Hamilton

Construction and maintenance: Jo and Mark Hamilton