Many herbs grow really quickly - mint, oregano, thyme and so on. Parsley will reseed everywhere if happy and sage and rosemary are quite large plants. In order to grow herbs well you need to use big pots - this is essential. And then group them together - sage with thyme and chives; rosemary with oregano and lemon thyme for example. The mint must be planted by itself in a decent sized pot and then split annually. Parsley also benefits from being in a big pot that is deep as it has a long tap root. Parsley are usually annuals so allowing them to reseed is a good idea - free plants. You need good quality potting mix that has some fine gravel over the top. This acts as a mulch but also is often alkaline which many herbs enjoy. Once a month apply a very weak liquid fertiliser to the plants along with watering the plants at least twice a week while it is so dry. When you water, keep the water up so that the whole of the soil mix is watered. Add a wetting agent to the top of the soil if the water is running straight through. Herbs in pots need more water than if planted in the ground. The best pots are pure terracotta - they breathe and are also much cooler than other pots that you purchase. But the pots need to be about 40cm in diameter to work. The principles suggested here are the same as for many succulents. But succulents come from a variety of regions and so have different requirements. These may do better in smaller pots being repotted annually.

Thank you all for your comments. Well, it's been a few months since my original post and we have since finished putting up the retaining wall and planting the hedge. We decided to go ahead with Murrayas - planted about 34-40 cm apart. I gave them a good trim about a week after planting at the end of Autumn and another quick trim at the start of Spring. They have really filled out in warm weather and I think the gaps between individual plants should close by the start of winter. I'm really happy with the choice - the hedge looks glossy and lush and the sweet smell of Murraya flowers is just beautiful. We didn't do any underplanting, but I'm still thinking about putting in the dwarf agapanthus for the inside border. A couple of weeks ago we planted some Rhaphiolepis "Snow Maiden" and Rhoeo along one side of the retaining wall to provide a border for a footpath and I'm really happy how it turned out.

Very pretty plant but keep in mind that it will most likely have a short flowering life. A fiddle Fig is very popular with great leaf shape and easy to manage, just plain green all year round. Mother Inlaws Tongue, Snake Plant is another popular easy to manage plant,

Julie Herbert - thank you sooo much!!! I have seen these trees and wanted to know the names of them :) ...and now i know..I was googling fireworks trees hahaha. Thanks again!! I'm sooo happy now~