Room Of The Week
Garden of the Week: A Low-Maintenance Garden for Philosophers
See how a garden designer brought low-maintenance nature to a city plot, complete with philosophical twists and turns
In a Q&A format, we talk to the designers – and examine the creative thinking – behind some of Houzz’s most loveable rooms.
Brief
The clients wanted a raw and natural palette, to bring a sense of nature inside their city-dwelling home (the rear wall of the house is floor-to-ceiling glass). An area to gather around a fire pit was a necessity for entertaining and connection. They also wanted a garden that was relatively low-maintenance and provided a space to relax both outside and inside the home.
The clients wanted a raw and natural palette, to bring a sense of nature inside their city-dwelling home (the rear wall of the house is floor-to-ceiling glass). An area to gather around a fire pit was a necessity for entertaining and connection. They also wanted a garden that was relatively low-maintenance and provided a space to relax both outside and inside the home.
The front of the house showing the garage
Starting point
This garden was a blank canvas, as it was a new house build.
Find a local landscape architect or designer on Houzz and browse images of their work
Starting point
This garden was a blank canvas, as it was a new house build.
Find a local landscape architect or designer on Houzz and browse images of their work
The backyard
The fire pit
Plant palette
Plant palette
- Acer palmatum ‘bloodgum’
- Agave attenuata
- Fatsia japonica
- Festuca glauca
- Ophiopogon jaburan
- Lomandra
- Seascape
- Dichondra ‘silver falls’
- Senecio serpens
- Trachelospermum asiaticum
- Succulents
- Textilis gracilis
- Grass trees
- Chinese star jasmine.
What was your thinking behind the arrangement?
The plant choices bring in all different tones and shades of greens and purples. A mix of ground covers and creepers brings trails of colour at different heights and shapes.
The plant choices bring in all different tones and shades of greens and purples. A mix of ground covers and creepers brings trails of colour at different heights and shapes.
Key principles behind the planting design
We chose a selection of native and oriental plants. The colour palette used was greens and red/purple tones.
Mounds of plants were used as features to view and ponder as you walk down the philosopher’s pathway (the clients work in philosophy).
We chose a selection of native and oriental plants. The colour palette used was greens and red/purple tones.
Mounds of plants were used as features to view and ponder as you walk down the philosopher’s pathway (the clients work in philosophy).
It was important for the plant palette to have a mixture of ground covers, creepers and different shaped plants to soften all of the hard materials, which brings a sense of balance.
Challenges you worked around
The building site has some drainage issues, so once the landscaping commenced, we installed more drainage than a normal site would require to control the water-flow direction.
The building site has some drainage issues, so once the landscaping commenced, we installed more drainage than a normal site would require to control the water-flow direction.
The front of the house
The front entry was a small area and required a creative design to maximise space, so we used curved raised planters to address both the slope of the front without closing off any space with straight edges or harsh corners.
The front entry was a small area and required a creative design to maximise space, so we used curved raised planters to address both the slope of the front without closing off any space with straight edges or harsh corners.
Your turn
What’s your favourite feature of this garden? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, like and save this story, and join the conversation.
More
Take a look at last week’s Room of the Week: An Oh-So-Chic Manhattan Pied-à-Terre
What’s your favourite feature of this garden? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, like and save this story, and join the conversation.
More
Take a look at last week’s Room of the Week: An Oh-So-Chic Manhattan Pied-à-Terre
Answers by Sean Dowling, creative director at Bayon Gardens
Who lives here: A couple with one child and their small dog
Location: Glen Iris, Victoria
Purpose of the space: Front and back gardens used by the family and for entertaining