The homeowners provided a beautiful brief to TDL, along with supporting inspirational images to help communicate what it was they wanted from their outdoor space.

The proposed garden and pool was to complement the existing architecture and style of the clients’ 1898 cottage home. It was to embody a classic planting palette of green and white, with existing citrus, mature trees and wisteria used collectively throughout the new garden layout.

The original site consisted of sloping grass with lots of vegetation and established trees. It was hard to imagine how the wish-list - including a
pool, lawn area, conversation pit, koi pond and extended pergola - would all fit in. After a few shuffles, the resulting layout feels generous and balanced.

With the block sloping down towards the back of the property, it lent to the idea of having the end wall of the pool exposed, creating a sunken intimate
area for teenage kids and their friends to hang out.
A hedge ‘moat’ was created between the pool and lawn to provide pool isolation without the need of a physical fence, while keeping to BCA standards.
The original idea was to have the koi pond and pool within the same area, but after rationalising the space, the garden worked better as a collective
with the pool and pond separated.
The custom Corten and bluestone koi pond runs down one side of the property and wraps around an existing jacaranda, giving the illusion of the tree
growing through the pond. This ‘wrapping around’ was a decision made on site by the construction supervisor because the rectangular pond was
sitting too close to the tree (the alternative was to cut the pond short). The result turned out to be one of the clients’ favourite features of the garden.
The completed project is a comfortable space, best appreciated on a summer afternoon by the pool, in the shade of the jacaranda and carob trees.