A precision-built garden that makes the most of a tricky sloping site.
In the harbourside suburb of Bellevue Hills in Sydney’s Easter Suburbs sits a hidden gem — an inviting garden with a pool, spaces for relaxed entertaining and a laidback tropical vibe.
The well-considered design, devised by Concept Pools and executed with precision by Jason Chapman and the team at Elegant Landscapes, makes the most of the awkward, steep site and the shaded aspect to deliver something that feels very welcoming.
“The clients requested a fresh, open tropical-style oasis with a Balinese feel and low-maintenance plants. They also wanted a nice place to relax where they could enjoy the pool,” explains Jason.
“The tiered landscape features a decked outdoor entertaining zone that steps down from the rear of the home and sits adjacent to the pool. This alfresco entertaining area is a great place to sit and relax with friends, and the open indoor-outdoor connection makes supervising the kids easy. On the next level down is a cool space with synthetic turf that is embraced by lush plants.”
To ensure minimal maintenance would be required, Trex decking was used. This is an eco-friendly composite product that never needs to be oiled, stained or painted, and won’t rot or splinter. The warm timber tones work well with the pale-coloured porcelain tiles around the pool and the vivid green hues of its mosaic-tiled interior.
Choosing synthetic turf for the lowest level was a smart move. “Getting a lawn mower down to that area would have been hard. Also, not a lot of sun reaches that spot so synthetic turf was the logical option,” says Jason.
To create the desired tropical feel, the planting palette includes elephant ears, bird of paradise, Xanadu philodendron, heliconias, frangipani and cordylines. This is accented with plantings of succulents and cacti growing in modern white pots.
At night, the garden spike lights and the LED strip lights beneath the steps create a magical effect; they also make the deck and garden safe to navigate.
“The steep slope and tight access to the site both presented challenges which required the inclusion of high-end drainage solutions, the implementation of clever workforce management strategies as well as constant adjustments to accommodate design variations,” says Jason. “The end result, however, is a high-quality landscape that meets the client brief of a fresh, open garden that provides a choice of individual areas for play, relaxation and entertaining.”
In 2022 the garden won Best in Category for Residential Construction up to $50,000 in the TLA Landscape Excellence Awards. “Elegant Landscapes delivered a beautiful, functional and extremely well-executed outdoor space,” said the judges. “The reuse of existing sandstone [for retaining walls], the wise choice of artificial turf and the fine choice of plants mean that not only does the garden look elegant now, it will continue to look magnificent into the future.”
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