The brief for the garden was to create a beautiful, functional, accessible and low-maintenance garden.

The main issue was the steep land which included a very steep driveway. The access to the home from the street level was quite difficult. At the rear, a 1m high wall situated 1m from the rear of the house prevented access to the yard and inhibited the view from the family room when sitting down. To compound the situation the path into the rear garden was only 800mm wide thus preventing machinery access.

The existing front garden had two rows of large rocks across the garden and parallel to the street. The rocks had been poorly installed so it was difficult to grow decorative plants among them but weeds grew rampant!

Before:

After:

It was decided that building steps would still be a barrier to wheelchairs, pushers and the elderly so a ramp was incorporated into the design. The ramp needed to have a moderate grade and so had to work its way right across the garden. For that to happen and the rocks needed to be relocated and in doing so they were bedded on sandy loam to allow roots to grow and plants to thrive.

Planting used a significant proportion of native plants in sympathy with the large native plant reserve across the road. A small pavilion was also built to allow the homeowners to enjoy the view across the valley.

To access the rear it was decided to reinforce the house wall and build a temporary ramp past the house and over the wall. With machinery on site it was faster and more efficient to cut out a section of wall and create three levels of entertainment space.

Before:

In construction:

After:

With a section of wall reduced in height, the view from inside the home was dramatically improved and access to the garden made very easy. A series of new large, flat spaces with natural seating and a pavilion roof transformed a very unfriendly garden into a cozy, inviting space that can accommodate a large number of people. The value of expanding the home so dramatically simply cannot be understated!

Planting was a mix of natives and some drought tolerant exotics. Great care was used in selecting plants that grow in the available conditions but wont become weeds in the nearby reserve. The final result was, according to the clients, exactly as the brief had requested.

Check out the entire project here!