The clients of this roof terrace are both young city professionals. They wanted a "garden in the sky" not a stark modern statement, yet it had to still be sleek and contemporary. Lit at night, the garden takens on a dramatic feel.

In the front black planter - Golden bamboo (Phyllostachys aureosulcata), standard olive trees and blue grasses (Festuca glauca)

In the low planter - Red imperial grass (Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra') with small festuca in front. Larger Pennisetum alopecuroides are behind

In the silver planter - Pittosporum tenuifolium variegata to the left, lime green Philadelphus coronarius 'aureus'. Broom (e.g. Cytisus battandieri) giving the upright feathery shape (matched on planter to the right in picture below). The climber to the rear is the evergreen scented Clematis armandii.

This another view in the early evening of the same garden. In the images above and below you can see a palm (Trachycarpus fortunei), suitable for use on exposed roof terraces with a little coddling in winter. The palm tree, olives and bamboo were critical to achieving some sense of scale on such an exposed site.

Lush planting helps you forget that you are in the heart of the industrial part of the city. There has been a clever use of decking and sunken planters. The plants you see here are a mix of herbs, including Rosemary, 3 different varieties of Thyme, Coriander, and Mint (contrained to pots otherwise it spreads everywhere).