Garden Design Portfolio

Cottage Garden

A Federation house on a large block of land with an established garden needed restoration and focus. New design elements implemented provide structure and visual links that tie together the disparate but healthy existing plants. Curved uniform garden bed edging made using sandstone blocks already on site strengthens the current plan creating a skeleton or frame to support wilder natural elements in the garden. Mass planting of flowering shrubs, annual and perennials and greenery fill the garden beds so there is less space for weeds to grow and plenty of colour all year round. Glorious existing trees such as the Jacaranda and Peach trees needed pruning by an arborist to ensure they have healthy and robust form and do not shade the garden. All dead wood and weed shrubs were removed.

My client requested a Monet palette for the garden so I included mostly blue and pink flowering annuals, perennials and shrubs with some grey and green foliage. I spent some time in the space to determine sunlight and soil quality. We have ensured existing delights such as bulbs and self-seeding daisies remain.
There is enough space to have a compost area, vegetables and varied themes include Australian native section and a Mediterranean bed. I wrote a detailed, educational and customised calendar for the garden so that my client can maintain it with relative ease and confidence.

Tropical Garden Design

ClientBrief: A lush green canopy in the backyard that connects with the bush greenery beyond the fence. The new garden will be used as an outdoor room for relaxing and eating as well as a play space for a toddler. The garden will also provide a leafy and pleasant aspect from the dining area.
Functional requirements include utilities such as clothes line, shed and barbeque area.

A sandstone stepping stone path through the garden connects the dining, play and sunbathing spaces. The new garden will be easy to maintain, private and shaded in parts. It has some colourful flowers and foliage, plenty of tropical greenery. The fence will be clad in NatureReed providing an aesthetic backdrop for the garden.

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Contemporary Garden

Client Brief: Provide an interesting view from first and second story windows above.
The entire space was previously wasteland so the garden was designed and constructed on a blank canvas.
A paved area of handcut sandstone slabs and a pond are surrounded by hardy plants such as Echium repens, Olea europa and Native Lavender.

Cottage Garden

This pocket handherchief sized garden contains a structural template in the sandstone path and buxus hedge that reflects the pattern found in wrought iron lacework on the house. The owner is a herbalist so her garden contains unusual herbs such as Echinacea as well as space to refresh the garden each season with flowering annuals.

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Garden Makeover

This garden makeover involved removing an old fibro shed, trimming the Peppercorn tree overhanging the fence from next door to allow more light, and making a garden suitable for two young children, the family dog and a mum who loves to entertain.

The garden design project was divided into three stages: demolition, restoration and construction, project managed by Talisa.

"I designed a sandstone paved area intersected by an ambling pathway leading to the new shed and worm farm at the bottom of the garden from the house. The sandstone was cut on site by a stonemason and laid in a chunky, solid yet delicate pattern and forms a barrier between the new lawn and garden beds abundant with Marguerite Daisies, Buddleia (loved by butterflies) and Lavender surrounding a new Magnolia tree. A Trumpet Vine of yellow flowers and freshly scented Jasmine cover the fence and herald spring. The kids helped out with planting seasonal annuals. All garden bed soils were conditioned with loads of cow manure and smothered in a thick layer of mulch to conserve water.

A screen along the back fence was needed so I planted a hedge of Lilly-pillies behind assorted Grevillea species and Kangaroo Paw that will attract birds to the garden. The shaded side of the backyard was planted out with shade loving Clivea, Violets and Japanese Anenome.
The result was a sunny play space that also served well for garden parties that was fairly easy to maintain and featured flowering plants all year around."

Kids Scented Garden

Looking out from the large verandah we see a composition of interlocking circles forming a figure eight made from hand cut sandstone pavers that serve both as a pathway as well as dividing garden beds from lawn. Two young children who live here cycle on the path around and around, the wheels crush the leaves of lavenders, mints and scented geraniums releasing their fragrances.

Another informal path leads to a raised vegetable patch and compost area and a patch planted out with native species at the bottom of the garden unused by humans is a haven for lizards and other creatures.

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