To soften the concrete

Have you considered some of the smaller ti-tree cultivars? Or some of the more sprawling grevilleas? Plant them among a good thick bark mulch and you have colour, bird life and absolutely minimum maintenance. Unless things go horribly wrong, the only thing you'll have to do is keep the mulch topped up.

Hi there Michelle, Have you thought about using artificial Vertical Gardens/Hedges on the fence? It's crazy how like-like it looks and it is all UV protected to ensure longevity. We are located in VIC (ship across Aus) and using our product by the pool wont affect it at all! There's so many designs to choose from and it is extremely easy to install. If you are still not sure get in touch with us today and we can send you up some samples to show you just how good the product is! Below are some photos of previous jobs we have done to give you an idea - many more on our Houzz Profile! Cheers, Aidan Designer Plants Australia

Climate, soil, etc? No point suggesting plants which won't do well in the conditions. Are you sure the existing plants won't fill in the space? I can't quite make them out but the row of sprouty looking things appear as if they might grow larger, and a number of plants look clipped, and the tree looks fairly new. It's a fine line between quick effect and overcrowding. Sometimes watching the tv shows which make it look easy I recognise the plants they are using and think that within a year or two the owners will be pruning them weekly or pulling half of them out.