I live in Sydney and we have a north and a west facing balcony. It's a large
space which is completely tiled. In the morning it's in total shade, but
from midday it's sunny and HOT. We have just moved here and there are no
plants yet, there is a metal framed pergola, which I would like to grow
something over so that we can sit and eat in the shade beneath it. On windy
days it is very blustery and there doesn't seem to be any spot which escapes
the wind.

I've been reading up a little on roof gardens, but only enough to understand
that one has to make careful choices about the type of plants to grow on a
roof garden as plants are so exposed. If there's anyone out there with
experience of roof gardens, I'd be very happy to hear from you.

My main aim is to get a variety of colour and shapes.

I'd like to grow:

* 2 to 3 small potted trees. Max height around 220 cm including the pot they
stand in.
* Some herbs for use in the kitchen.
* A west facing screen of plants which needs to be between 120 cm and 190 cm
in height (including the pot they stand in). They would run alongside a
balcony wall which is approx 95 cm high and around 10 m long. I would need
some plants which were useful for their height to block the wind and to
provide some shade, and also some smaller plants which would sit at the
front providing some contrast to the taller plants behind them. I'm keen to
find a few plants which would trail over the edge of the pots, softening the
hard edges.

* A pretty plant to grow on the pergola. Something which can be easily
managed, preferably something which flowers, but I'm keen not to attract too
may insects as we will be eating under the pergola. Butterflies are fine,
but I need to keep away wasps, spiders and general creepy crawlies which may
drop down our backs or into the food. I have never done this, is it possible
to combine the two? (eating under a pergola which has plants on it, without
the bugs).

* There is also a section of north facing balcony which is a glass, about
150 cm in height and 5 m long AND a very narrow section of wall to the east
which is about 190 cm tall, 2.5 m long.

* I'm keen to mix plants, using both native and non-invasive foreign
species.

* So far there are no cats around, so I'd like to encourage small native
birds and butterflies.

* If anyone can give me advice for keeping down the number of spiders in a
friendly way, that would be great too.