How to decorate a balcony in full sun

Sometimes those little rays of sunshine make cultivating a drag. Try these nine ideas to keep your alfresco space shining.

1. Go with desert-hardy pants. If you're having trouble getting seeds to sprout in your sun-drenched alfresco, go for the ones that thrive in the desert. Cacti and waxy-leaved plants thrive on the beating rays. Image via apartmentfl5

2. Grow an edible garden. Veggies thrive on sweet, sweet sunshine. Make an edible garden box and let it provide you with sustenance the whole year round. All it asks in return is a little H2O and a whole lotta rays. Photographer: Alamy

3. Play with the light. Perforated shutters are the perfect accessory for a balcony that enjoys full sun. Not only do they provide shade without blocking out the light, the dancing patterns they create are sure to be unique. Image via Umm Hello

4. Go vertical. Figure out which wall of your balcony is the most protected and install a vertical garden instead. Not only are they sweeping and dramatic, they're compact and easy to care for. Image via Yard Surfer

5. Use flowering plants. Flowers soak up sunshine like tofu in a laksa. By making a feature of flowering plants and trees, you can embrace the brightness that the full sun brings to your abode. Image via Pinterest

6. Make it mobile. If the plants you crave don't like full sun all the time, make them mobile by handing them on a portable wardrobe frame. That way they can be moved from indoors to out whenever the mood takes you (or them). Image via Kmart

7. If nothing seems to survive on your little patch of sun, ditch the foliage and set up a day bed situation sure to induce envy in all those who see it. Image via Dan330

8. Use foliage to create shade. By growing your own canopy over a wood or steel frame you get a trifold deal - a living sculpture, much-needed shade and all the glorious oxygen you can handle. Image via Karwei

9. Make it a night-time nook. If you've tried everything and the sun is simply too harsh for you or your plants outside, transform your space into a night-time retreat. That way once the sun goes down, it's your time to shine. Image via Style and Cheek.

Source: http://www.homelife.com.au/decorating/outdoors/how-to-decorate-a-balcony-in-full-sun?ref=/decorating/outdoors