Garden Tour: A Magical Garden Full of Surprises
Lush and free-flowing at the front, clean and contemporary at the back – a garden for a traditional-meets-modern home
With an ornate, double-fronted Victorian facade and a sleek, modern extension at the rear, the garden of this Camberwell home in Melbourne needed to speak to the distinct architectural styles of both. Fortunately, Ben Scott, landscape architect and principal at Ben Scott Garden Design, was more than up to the challenge. He created an enchanting design consisting of rich, layered planting and thoughtful hardscaping that takes you on a magical tour from one unique zone to the next. Here, he talks us through exactly how he did it.
The front garden before works
Hard as it is to imagine, given the lush, botanically rich space that exists here now, there wasn’t much of a garden to speak of when Scott and his team started this project. “The garden was extremely neglected. All we had to work with were two beautiful established trees – a liquidambar at the front of the house and an evergreen magnolia at the back.”
The liquidambar quickly became the focal point of the design for the front garden, with Scott introducing a rich layering of herbaceous perennials and ornamental grasses in what is essentially one large garden bed sheltered beneath its broad branches.
“Originally, the client thought to use lawn for the front garden, but I talked them out of it as I wanted to have it all as a garden bed with a lovely pathway that meandered through it,” says Scott. “The result is a mini-botanic garden that works well with the house and the retained tree. It creates a wonderful experience as you walk through it.”
Hard as it is to imagine, given the lush, botanically rich space that exists here now, there wasn’t much of a garden to speak of when Scott and his team started this project. “The garden was extremely neglected. All we had to work with were two beautiful established trees – a liquidambar at the front of the house and an evergreen magnolia at the back.”
The liquidambar quickly became the focal point of the design for the front garden, with Scott introducing a rich layering of herbaceous perennials and ornamental grasses in what is essentially one large garden bed sheltered beneath its broad branches.
“Originally, the client thought to use lawn for the front garden, but I talked them out of it as I wanted to have it all as a garden bed with a lovely pathway that meandered through it,” says Scott. “The result is a mini-botanic garden that works well with the house and the retained tree. It creates a wonderful experience as you walk through it.”
The owner’s main objective was to create a garden that suited the two very different architectural styles of the home – Victorian at the front and a contemporary extension at the rear.
“They also wanted a herb garden, flowers they could pick for the house, a decent area of lawn at the back and screening for the garage,” says Scott. In addition, their wish list included an alfresco area where they could entertain and a swing for the liquidambar tree.
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“They also wanted a herb garden, flowers they could pick for the house, a decent area of lawn at the back and screening for the garage,” says Scott. In addition, their wish list included an alfresco area where they could entertain and a swing for the liquidambar tree.
Inspired to rejuvenate your own outdoor space? Find a local landscape architect on Houzz
A plan of the garden and residence
The end result is a design made of a series of unique zones that offer up delights at every turn. “The front garden is a wonderful mixed planting palette that works well with the Victorian front and the liquidambar tree,” says Scott. “I created a lovely meandering pathway that takes you through the front garden with stepping-stone pavers.
“The side herb and vegetable garden has a distinct feel, the rear garden is more open, and the alfresco area with the grape-vine-covered pergola feels different again,” he says.
Scott took inspiration from the work of landscape architects James Van Sweden and Wolfgang Oehme, who were known for designing multi-layered and seasonal planting schemes.
The end result is a design made of a series of unique zones that offer up delights at every turn. “The front garden is a wonderful mixed planting palette that works well with the Victorian front and the liquidambar tree,” says Scott. “I created a lovely meandering pathway that takes you through the front garden with stepping-stone pavers.
“The side herb and vegetable garden has a distinct feel, the rear garden is more open, and the alfresco area with the grape-vine-covered pergola feels different again,” he says.
Scott took inspiration from the work of landscape architects James Van Sweden and Wolfgang Oehme, who were known for designing multi-layered and seasonal planting schemes.
A swing hung from the liquidambar tree was one of the client’s must-haves – a charming addition to the front garden that is frequently enjoyed by visiting children. This one comes from House of Orange. “A tree swing is always magical and further embraces connection to the garden,” says Scott.
Irregularly shaped bluestone pavers lead from the front of the house to the side, where the herb and vegetable garden is located.
Get more ideas from these stunning Australian gardens on Houzz
Get more ideas from these stunning Australian gardens on Houzz
Every part of this garden is used and cherished. “The front garden is a real pottering space and the owners also enjoy the use of the swing there and the armchairs on the verandah, while the rear garden and alfresco area is where they relax and entertain,” says Scott.
“The owners are very keen gardeners and the way the garden has grown is testament to them,” he says.
A weathered bench seat provides the perfect spot to sit and take a breather in the sunshine.
A contemporary entertaining area, which was designed in conjunction with the architect, comes complete with a barbecue, outdoor fireplace and generous seating, making it an idyllic place to entertain friends and family.
To provide privacy from a neighbouring two-storey house, Scott planted non-invasive, clumping gracilis bamboo (Bambusa textilis ‘Gracilis’) adjacent to the alfresco area. “It’s a great bamboo variety for Melbourne – fast-growing and ideal for screening where you have a narrow footprint,” he says. Scott also used Gracilis to camouflage the front of the rear garage structure, along with Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata).
To provide privacy from a neighbouring two-storey house, Scott planted non-invasive, clumping gracilis bamboo (Bambusa textilis ‘Gracilis’) adjacent to the alfresco area. “It’s a great bamboo variety for Melbourne – fast-growing and ideal for screening where you have a narrow footprint,” he says. Scott also used Gracilis to camouflage the front of the rear garage structure, along with Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata).
“I grew an ornamental grape vine over the pergola to provide summer shade to the entertaining space. Being deciduous, it allows the winter light in so the space can be enjoyed in the cooler months,” says Scott.
An L-shaped built-in seating area makes it easy to accommodate extra guests.
An L-shaped built-in seating area makes it easy to accommodate extra guests.
A sweet arrangement of succulents created by the owners
The outdoor entertaining space is situated directly off the home’s kitchen and living area.
Lush sedum ‘Autumn joy’ adds depth to the front garden.
In a marked change to the planting layout at the front of the house, the rear garden is simple, clean-lined and open – the perfect foil for the home’s contemporary extension. Scott specified RTF tall fescue grass for the lawn. “It’s a great cool-season grass well-suited to Melbourne’s climate that provides year-round greenery,” he says.
A pleached hill’s fig (Ficus microcarpa hillii) hedge is located at the rear of the garden with asiatic jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum) ground cover beneath it.
A pleached hill’s fig (Ficus microcarpa hillii) hedge is located at the rear of the garden with asiatic jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum) ground cover beneath it.
The hedge is a clever choice for the rear yard as it conceals the fence without adding bulk to the garden’s footprint, while pleaching the plants to expose the lower trunks adds visual depth.
To soften the side boundary of the house, pleached ornamental pear trees (Pyrus calleryana) were paired with Boston ivy, along with star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) ground cover.
Your turn
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More
Want more on gardens? Check out this story: 24 Ideas to Make Your Garden Fun for Children of Any Age
Your turn
Do you love this captivating garden as much as we do? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Want more on gardens? Check out this story: 24 Ideas to Make Your Garden Fun for Children of Any Age
Garden at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two adult children
Property type: A double-fronted Victorian home with a contemporary rear extension
Location: Camberwell, Victoria
Garden dimensions: The front garden measures approximately 250 square metres and the rear garden is around 335 square metres.
Landscape architect and garden designer: Ben Scott, landscape architect and principal at Ben Scott Garden Design