Whether sitting amid the treetops or resting in the tropical outdoor space, the effect of this garden is mesmerising
This is a garden of true absorption, which is why I was so captivated when I first met the owners, heard their wish list and saw the property’s hidden potential.
Walking through the home you catch glimpses of the water, its surface glistening in the sun. Drawn closer by this, you quickly realise the newly designed upper garden is woven into the fabric of the home, with a seamless transition from inside to out.
As soon as you step outside, the outdoor dining room stands before you. To one side of that is a large outdoor kitchen with barbecue, wok, stone worktop and a brightly coloured back wall set at a height that allows you to see the estuary of the river below. Allowing in dappled sun, there is a bespoke pergola, slowly being canopied by an ornamental vine.
Sitting in this space, you are amid the treetops at a level only experienced by the local fauna. As you walk towards the trees, you look over the balustrade and spy another level, which cantilevers over a lush garden below. This level has a lounge area which is within touching distance of one of the large angophora trees.
How can I get there, you wonder? A flowing set of shallow steps melting around the stone wall beckons you. With the size of the steps, the journey feels more of a glide down than a stomp, and the steps are wide enough for you to stop, sit and savour the view of the tree canopies and river beyond.
The outdoor lounge setting lets you absorb the unique experience of being in the treetops and enjoying the rustling of the breeze-tickled leaves and the whispering trickle of the water feature. Curiosity kicks in again and you find yourself reaching out to touch nearby tree branches. You also find yourself looking down on the tropical garden below. Wondering how you can get there, you follow the outer edges of the lounge area until you find a path tucked away on the side.
The path beckons and slowly you start descending into the tropical garden. Passing large, sun-kissed paddle plants of many colours, you travel along a rustic path whose course is dictated by large natural bedrock outcrops. Before you know it, you’re in a completely different world — a lush, cool, totally consuming place that takes you down to the water’s edge and past benches positioned so you can sit and take in the view.
Looking back up at the house, you can now appreciate just how impressive the cantilevered outdoor lounge area really is. While this paved outdoor space is actually easy to access, it seems an almost untouchable area due to the overhang. This is a garden of many spaces; from the one that takes you down to the water’s edge to the upper outdoor dining and lounging areas, each provides a totally different set of experiences.
With 48 years of collective experience, The Scenic Iconic Landscaping Group has all the skills to handle the entire project to ensure your dream at concept stage is obtained and delivered in a timely manner and at a known cost before the ground is cut. The team is able to provide you with a program of works for the entire project very early in the creative process. This is one of the company policies and allows the team to ensure the project is moulded to your personal desires.
Working in simple stages allows results to be achieved at a speed that suits you, along with any circumstances that need to be considered when designing, programming and delivering such high-quality and attention-to-detail projects.
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Scenic Blue Design
Originally in Best Homes, Volume 5
