Making Magic

LANDSCAPE OF THE YEAR AWARDS ENTRANT NSW

Overflowing with rustic charm, this enchanting landscape is a glowing testament to creativity and craftsmanship

Inspiration can come from surprising places. The owners of this enchanted garden were struck by the muse during a visit to one of Sydney’s most popular cafes, The Grounds of Alexandria. Bewitched by the garden-themed venue’s bucolic beauty and quirkiness, they reached out to Exotic Living’s Mitchell Kushturian, runner-up for Best Emerging Designer in the 2024 Landscape Design Institute’s Design National Design Awards, to recreate the cafe’s charm in their own backyard.

“The owners sought to capture the rustic character of The Grounds with an emphasis on the use of recycled and raw materials,” says Mitchell. “They wanted the garden to feel magical, with a fireplace and intimate seating area where they could relax with a glass of wine, and they wanted a glasshouse where they could sit in winter and enjoy a cup of tea — and grow flowers and veggies.

“A potting shed was requested, and an outdoor area to grow more vegetables and herbs. They also looked to incorporate nostalgic elements that would conjure meaningful memories for them, such as an area to grow tomatoes like one of their grandfather’s used to do, and a chandelier from their previous home.”

Mitchell, who worked hand-in-hand with his brother Joshua, skilled craftsman and project manager, to create this garden, says the property owners had a penchant for materials that were rustic, recycled or told a story — character was important.

“Old railway lines were used as posts for the raised veggie planter boxes which were built using railway sleepers with the old bolts and fixings still attached,” says Mitchell. “We used recycled bricks to elevate the arbour-framed olive tree and centrepiece of the garden, for paving in the fireplace area and glasshouse entry, and to build a raised planter box within the glasshouse.

“The arbour was built using recycled hardwoods paired with old reinforcing steel for the climbing hardenbergia that provides a canopy of green. Repurposed wine barrels were used as large pots and supports for a tree-slab bench seat, and reclaimed sandstone billets were transformed into birdbaths.”

This is a garden that’s meant to be explored and the planting enhances the experience of being out in the garden. The largely native palette includes repeat plantings of Westringia fruticosa (coastal rosemary) to create a rhythm, Casuarina glauca ‘Green Wave’ (swamp she-oak) for pops of bold-green contrast, and groundcovers such as Myoporum parvifolium (creeping boobilia) for their softening effect. Waterhousea floribunda (weeping lilly pilly) frames the garden’s entry and creates leafy passageways.

Throughout the project, a high level of craftsmanship is displayed. This can be seen in the seating area with its custom fireplace clad in Shou Sugi Ban (charred timber), the glasshouse, in which the owners’ chandelier hangs, and the charming potting shed.

“This was the kind of project designers dream about,” says Mitchell. “The brief allowed for creativity, the owners placed their full trust in us, and as they love gardening, we knew they would tend to it with great care.”