Showcase 5
The objectives behind this garden design was to create a cottage style garden in the front, providing a palette of colours and smell. The main access to the house is via the rear entrance, therefore, the existing driveway along the side of the house was to be transformed into the main walkway. The design needed to provide interest from the proposed front gate to the rear garden.
The second-hand bricks used in the front gate, driveway and front pathway, are an ideal material as they instantly give the garden a weathered appearance, that is often associated with the ‘cottage’ style. The soft colours of the brick compliment the pastel colours within the plant selection of the front garden. The occasional brick was left out, so that self-sown annuals and perennials could emerge from the paving to help soften the hard lines. There is a connection between the house and garden, defined by the use of the hardwood timber in the front gate, which matches the existing deck.
A low rock wall was constructed along the side of the driveway and front path to retain the garden beds. Using ironstone maintains unity between the front garden and the walls existing in the rear garden.
Beyond the gate lies the sandstone path which leads down the side of the house. Large sandstone slabs were used for ease of access, giving a sense of openness along this narrow space. The path is edged with steel to retain the pebbles and creeping thyme was planted amongst the sandstone slab in order to soften the hard lines. The path provides a sense of mystery as the path disappears around the corner. The plants help to obscure the line of sight increasing this sense of mystery.
Native plant species were used amongst the exotic plants in the side garden to compliment the use of the sandstone and ironstone in the hard landscaping. The native plants are well suited to the harsh growing condition, as the site was previously a compacted gravel driveway. The use of native plants such as the Callistemon citrinus encourages bird life into the garden.
