BOUTIQUE GARDENS After a two-year hiatus, the Landscaping Victoria Boutique Gardens Competition returned to the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show, reminding homeowners that beauty, and meaning, can come from small, carefully designed outdoor spaces. We spoke with the designers about their winning garden designs.
'Elements' By Alison Douglas Design When Alison Douglas first designed her garden for MIFGS 2020, her intention was to create a contemporary twist on the traditional Zen Garden. Inspired by Zen principles of harmony and balance, Alison’s design draws from the five key elements - earth, water, fire, wind & sky. “I wanted to create a space that looks contemporary, but is a peaceful, relaxing sanctuary where people can either enjoy the space in private, or come together with family and friends,” Alison explains. A central sunken lounge, featuring limestone benches and a daybed form a central space to reconnect and rest, while the open fire which nurtures motivation and encourages transformation. A peaked lawn points to the sky and hovers over a reflective pond. Alison explains that the plants were selected to celebrate a vibrant biodiversity. An established Nyssa sylvatica sits at the rear of the garden, providing shade for tree ferns and tropical evergreen shrubs. In the sunnier foreground, angular Correa hedges reference the angles created within the hard structures of the garden, whilst swathes of creeping saltbush and edible semi-succulent ground covers create a contrasting rhythm within the garden. Bringing the garden to life in 2022, two years after it was originally intended, was an interesting challenge for Alison and the construction team. While some aspects of the garden were prefabricated, and had been placed into storage, other elements of the build were harder to source.
“After coming out of lockdown, the experience of building the garden was quite overwhelming. Materials were in short supply, and the costs of building the garden had increased. If I had to do it over again, I probably would have simplified the design.” Plants were also limited, with some of the plants that Alison had specified in the original design being no longer available. But despite the frustrations, Alison was able to see the silver lining. “It forced me to go out and visit nurseries, to see what was available. In doing that I made new discoveries, and cemented relationships with suppliers and colleagues in the industry, which has been terrific,” Alison said. * Alison's garden also features on the Front and Back cover of this edition!
