An eclectic garden design that delights the eye and nourishes the soul
Landscape of the Year Awards Entrant QLD
his intriguing Brisbane garden, a deliberately curated blend of Mediterranean, tropical, arid and classic garden design elements, is what landscape designer Julia Meyer Pflug of Folium Studio calls “an eclectic garden”. “Rather than adhering to a single style, the design embraces diversity while maintaining cohesion through careful plant selection and thoughtful material choices,” says Julia.
“This garden invites you in, and that, ultimately, is what I believe garden design should be about: creating spaces that enhance life, connect us to nature, and offer a sanctuary from the everyday.”
The owners wanted to transform their sloping backyard into a “garden extension” of their home. The essentials included a plunge pool and outdoor shower, a fire pit area, lawn for the dog, and a trampoline for their two young children. All of this had to be achieved while creating a harmonious retreat that would feel both spacious and peaceful, despite the compact area.
“The sloped site became one of the garden’s defining features,” explains Julia. “Rather than fighting the gradient, it was levelled and we created a retaining wall integrated into the pool with paved steps to create a dramatic entry sequence. The pool shape was customised to fit the space and allow room behind for the trampoline.
“The hidden copper outdoor shower is perhaps my favourite feature,” she adds. “It’s screened entirely through strategic plant placement and is revealed gradually as you move through the garden. This adds an element of discovery that elevates the everyday into something special.”
The fire pit area was designed by Julia to feel like a tropical oasis, anchored by a 250kg timber railway-sleeper bench, while the teardrop-shaped lawn is defined by Corten steel edging, turning a practical element into a sculptural feature.
The alfresco is the garden’s social heart. This bluestone crazy-paved space connects the house and garden, creating a transition where you feel part of both.
For this project, a close collaboration with landscaper Christopher Nicholson, Julia developed a consciously eclectic, layered plant palette that honoured the owners’ specific wishes — olives, magnolia trees, palms, and a crepe myrtle tree — while selecting complementary plants that would unite these diverse species. Olive trees, for example, were used as the entry feature while a crepe myrtle forms the centrepiece when viewed from inside the home. In the tropical corner, palms create vertical drama.
“The result is a richly layered, textured landscape that invites exploration and offers something new to discover with each visit. That’s what makes this little garden a joy,” says Julia. It’s also a garden that represents Folium Studio’s design philosophy: that every outdoor space can become a sanctuary that nourishes the soul. “And,” adds Julia, “it proves that eclectic doesn’t mean chaotic, compact doesn’t mean compromised.”
For more information
FOLIUM STUDIO
Mobile 0404 297 620
Email gardendesign@foliumstudio.com.au
Photography: Osney Oliveira
