LANDSCAPE OF THE YEAR AWARDS ENTRANT NSW
This space-maximising, skilfully terraced garden was expertly crafted to be enjoyed both day and night
Living in a terrace house in a bustling urban area has much to recommend it, but there can be downsides. Typically, the rear garden will be small and off-street parking options will be nil to negligible. The owners of this property faced this dual dilemma so sought the expertise of Adrian Swain, Director of Ecodesign and The Other Side Landscapes.
“They wanted to renovate their dilapidated backyard and create a garden oasis,” says Adrian. “They also wanted to create an on-site car space that could be accessed from the rear laneway. This meant, due to the yard’s limited size, we had to create a multi-use space.”
The owners expressed a preference for raw and natural materials, which Adrian happily incorporated into his garden design — a blend of classic and modern styles —along with luxuriant planting.
“We used natural, raw and recycled products where possible, including spotted gum timber for decking, dry-pressed recycled brick for paving and retaining, and a cedar timber spa,” he explains. “Polished concrete was used for steps instead of tiling and Corten steel edging was used to create a vegetable and herb garden.”
The hub of the space is a spa set atop a deck where the owners can sit and dry-off or simply laze about. Circular polished concrete steppers lead down to an area paved in a herringbone pattern using recycled bricks. This is a multi-functional space used to park the car or as an outdoor dining/lounge area. In turn, this space is linked to the house by a path of polished concrete steppers.
The planting palette emphasises green and silver foliage, and incorporates blooms of various colours. “The intent was to create a relaxed planting layout while maintaining structure,” says Adrian. “The planting was also chosen to suit the filtered light the garden areas receive throughout the day.”
The planting palette embraces Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’ (Japanese maple), Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’ (silver kidney weed), Gardenia radicans (dwarf gardenia), Ligularia reniformis (tractor seat plant), Magnolia x alba (white champaca), Parthenocissus tricuspidata (Boston ivy), Pogonatherum paniceum (baby panda bamboo), Stachys byzantine (lamb’s ear), Viola hederacea (native violet), and Buxus sempervirens (box), clipped into balls.
So the space can be used at night, and to highlight the various feature elements, lighting was installed along the walls and paths, and in the garden beds.
For the construction team, the biggest challenge was the existing drainage issue. There was no fall from the garden’s low point to the laneway discharge area so a pump with a float switch was installed to send water to the street as soon as it was collected.
The considerable care and expertise that went into this project paid off, creating a multi-levelled, multi-functional living space the owners can enjoy, day or night.
Contact Details
Landscape Design: Ecodesign
Landscape Construction: The Other Side Landscapes