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Designed in
2004, this garden represents a drought-hardy solution to a
unique situation. The home is obviously not an
ultra-modern, contemporary building, and as such, I felt
the more obvious modern, minimalist style of garden would
not suit the house. The low maintenance requirements of my
client have been a major factor in the evolution of this
garden design. |
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I wanted the
front garden to be very tough and water miserly because I
realized the client’s energy, and focus would be directed more
toward the backyard (which was to be designed at a later
stage), where more time was to be spent (and views of this
garden would be enjoyed from inside all year round).
The resultant
front garden is a hybrid of modern and more traditional garden
design approaches, which relates to the style of the home. The
combination of house and front garden is an appropriate
picture in the suburban streetscape. Although rain water is
harvested for this garden, the tank size requirement has been
kept to a minimum, and only needed in the event of stage four
water restrictions. |
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The height of the house is softened by three specimen trees (Acer
Rubrum ‘October Glory’). These deciduous trees provide
vertical texture, whilst maximizing light into the front of
the home in Winter. Their magnificent autumnal foliage
provides interest and the pinkish red colour relates to the
‘redish’ tones of the house bricks.
The exposed aggregate driveway and front path provides
functional access for cars and people, without dominating the
view of the front of the house. I felt strongly that to have
pavement with a geometric pattern (brick or tiles, etc) would
only have added to the visual noise of the two storey brick
walls of the home. Fortunately, the discrete, amorphous
exposed aggregate provides a subtle yet tactile element to the
front landscape. |
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This tactility is continued by utilizing small river pebbles as
the front ‘lawn’, and larger feature rocks within the mounded
garden beds add even more interest.
An ‘island’ amongst the pebble lawn is formed by a mounded garden
bed which is mass-planted with dwarf Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon
Japonicus ‘Kyoto-dwarf’). This island extends on both sides of
the path to the front door so when one approaches the front door,
the journey has interest, almost as if one is crossing the
different garden elements on a bridge. At one end of this
‘island’, feature rocks form a theatrical base for a stand out
specimen of Agave attenuata. This architectural plant makes a
stunning focal point and is also lit at night.
The garden bed across the front boundary is mass-planted with a
prostrate conifer (Juniperus Conferta), and this plant has
proven to be particularly drought tolerant, and it provides
protection to the soil and plant roots beneath. The prickly
foliage discourages dogs which is an advantage when there is no
front fence, and there is a park next door.
Curved hedges of a native rosemary hybrid (Westringea
‘Wyngabbie Gem’) and box-leaf privet (Ligustrum Undulatum)
provide more traditional structure to the garden, as well as
partially enclosing the garden, thus making it more intimate,
whilst maintaining the drought tolerant theme.
Border planting of another drought-hardy, strap like-plant (Liriope
‘Magestic’) adds modern texture to the mix, and Sasanqua Camellias
(‘Paradise Blush’), combined with white Azaleas (‘Alba Magnifica’),
have proven surprisingly drought-tolerant (once established) and
further contribute to the mixture of traditional and
modern/architectural plants in this garden. |
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The result is a
particularly low maintenance and drought
friendly garden, which combines traditional and
contemporary plants and design structures to effectively
relate the house to its surrounding environment. This garden
illustrates that there is more to drought tolerant gardens
than merely native plants, and that modern garden design can
be blended with traditional elements to enhance a period or
older style home.
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This article is an extract/edited version written by Scott
Brown which appeared in
Backyard & Garden Design Ideas : Waterwise Edition
Issue 2 October 2007 (p 46-47)
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Brighton 03 9596
7244 East Melbourne 03 9417 6654 Fax
03 9596 7844 Email :
design@scottbrown.com.au
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