The cane furniture will really look nice in your verandah. As for plants, jump online and browse for some hardy plants on the Aussie websites. They are a wealth of information and if you do have a large planter box or pot make sure you put it on wheels. That way you can take your plants in and out of the house. Also put a base under the pot/planter so it catches the water and does not ruin your nice floor. You can pick these from a garden store in your area. Good luck! :) btw hope you don't mind me your spelling error "taught" should be "taut", I really hope folks correct my spelling too! cheers.

always best to add insulation during construction but another option for an existing room is to install the insulation bats underneath and then add a corrugated iron ceiling...not much fun to do the job from below but the finished appearance is gorgeous and the condensation and overheating eliminated

Can't you just line that part where insulation is and leave rest unlined ie don't need flush ceiling

Looking at the first below I'd say, to be on the safe side, the bedhead should show half to three quarters above your tallest pillow. The second photo I believe shows too much bedhead.