We're in a large apartment with sliding glass doors facing west (lounge/dining and bedroom 2) and east (main bedroom, kitchen) each with a full length balcony/patio areas (4&5m deep and 6.5m wide). With this set up we get a fantastic cross breeze that cools down our entire home within minutes of the sliding doors being opened after a cool change arrives in summer. Our front (western) facing sliding doors get the hot afternoon sun so in summer we put up the outdoor umbrellas (soon to be outdoor awning blinds) that keep the sun off our windows and make entertaining out there more comfortable in the late afternoons reducing glare. We also find that we chase the sun/shade (depending on the season) when we're eating outdoors and entertaining so for summer, we use our western side in the morning where it's shady and cool and the eastern side of an evening and vice versa in winter. In the full length planter boxes on our western balcony we've put in rosemary which has grown up and provides a little extra protection against afternoon glare. We don't have air con and manage quiet well for the majority of summer exception of those two or three days each year that are super hot we close the whole apartment up, draw all the curtains and blinds, turn on the faithful Dimplex tower fan and resort to cool showers, salads and ice blocks.

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I share your exasperation! We have a large garden with clay soil at our place in sydney and limited budget to redo the whole thing! With 2 kids and work it's hard to keep the backyard looking good. I've found that lilli Pillis worked a treat for screening and grew quickly ie within 2 years were at fence height ( 50cm when planted ) though it looks like you have some hedges growing that may be these already? There are more tree like versions of lilli pillis eg waterhousia floribunda see picture - it's grown over 2 meters in 1.5 years now almost 4m tall and starting to throw shade. We lost a heap of shade when our large Blum gum was removed due to safety reasons. Another option might be a baby citro gum tree? For general landscaping I also love purple fountain grass another plant that really thrives in our climate. Gets to about 1.6m tall and looks very pretty when there is a breeze and they are nice and soft for kids. Agapanthus are another plant we cat seem to kill, and they flower all spring and summer. I often take a look and see what the council plants in the area, usually gives me an idea of what is likely to grow and not require excessive maintenance. There is a fair bit of trial and error some things that look great just can't cope with my low/zero maintenance strategy I now order plants from a wholesale nursery as retail prices can be a budget killer. Also IKEA have good freestanding umbrellas, works well and was cost effective, casts a large amount of shade and can be moved around the garden if needed. The lawn is a bit of maintenance but speaking from experience if you don't have to water it then mowing is probably easier than garden beds, I haven't yet found a way to really stop weeds, so that might be a consideration. Hope the tips are helpful.

Not sure how it would go in Brisbane but what about trying a conifer? They grow fast and very tall. You can shape them or leave them natural. They are plain and certainly not tropical. Maybe speak to a local nursery and find out if they would grow in the sub-tropical climate of Brisbane first, as they are usually in colder climates (Sydney and south). Leightons Green Conifer – Leyland Cypress http://www.evergreengrowers.com.au/shop/hedging-screening/leightons-green-conifer-leyland-cypress/ Your quite limited if there's not enough sun and you dont use bamboo or tropical plants. Many other screening plants or hedges wont get tall enough for that space and climate. I hope you find something.