As a newbie, I thought I'd lend a hand with ideas. I have clay soil under which is a river bed -or was, some 80 years ago, in Coorparoo, Brisbane. I've been searching for things to grow as well. I've placed new soil, added sterilised compost which is something I need to change -a lot of composts & mixes tend to be sterilised & after using an excellent compost I found 50 % of what had failed to grow before, is now completely happy & growing stronger by the day. One thing an arborist suggested is to look at what you already have that is working well then check your neighbouring areas to see what grows well, there. Frequently your answer is in front of you!
I've found that lilly pillies even in shade, or full sun -and we know full sun doesn't mean 12 hours of baking heat & humidity at 45 degrees -do well. Also, in my area, rosemary is very hardy. Even in only two hours of sun, it does well & if there's strong afternoon sun, coming thru your cement base or fence, it should grow well, though slowly. Other things I've found that don't blossom but have terrific coloured vegetation & foliage is the species of coleus? The colourful leaves come in so many different hues you'd have a burst of colour all season long mixed in with your tropical plants.
