THE PERFECT GARDEN

THE PERFECT GARDEN OUR COVER STORY

What makes a garden "perfect"? Is there a magic recipe or does it just take that X Factor?

Steve Taylor, Director at COS Design, examines what it takes to create a garden such as their award-winning Sorrento Project, as featured on the cover of this edition of "The Best".

Photography by Erik Holt.

Great gardens come in many different forms, styles and sizes but a great garden doesn’t just happen, and some gardens don’t appeal to everyone. The perfect garden is one that fulfills the dreams and the desires of the people who own, view and use that garden every day. The consensus of the masses becomes an irrelevant point of view. Whether a formal garden is clipped daily or a coastal garden is left to grow wild, freeform and natural, the beauty of the garden only needs to be in the eyes of the owner.

Gardens simply need to reflect and compliment the personality and lifestyle of the owner. However, there are some general design rules that need to be followed. Firstly, the garden does need to enhance and belong in and around the architecture and interiors of the home from an aesthetic perspective. Secondly, it needs to provide convenient, functionality through good design. Usable zones in and around the green elements that enhance the lifestyle requirements of the homeowners are essential.

Every project is different, and in a slight contradiction to the above, if a garden is being created purely for capital improvement then the consensus of the masses does become relevant and the design needs to reflect this.

So, what is the magic formula that will create your “Perfect Garden”? I will try and condense the answer as best I can.

The simple recipe is as follows.

THE BRIEF.

Every garden starts with a great brief whether it be images of gardens that appeal to you along with a list of functional requirements. My advice is to break the brief down into two separate categories - form and function.

THE DESIGN.

This ultimately needs to respond to the brief and tick the boxes of both form and function. At this stage of the process you should engage a professional landscape designer/architect.

PLANNING AND PERMITS.

What you want to have may not be allowed by your local council/building authority. This is where a landscaping industry professional can be worth their weight in gold.

CONSTRUCTION.

Many of your garden structures will need building permits and be carried out by a registered VBA building practitioner who will give you the correct permits, warranties and insurances. Always engage the services of a Landscaping Victoria Master Landscaper, who will have the necessary VBA registration.

MAINTENANCE.

The difference between a professionally, well maintained garden and one that is maintained as a weekend burden is clear and the science of true garden care is an art within itself so consider this in your ongoing budgets. Creating the Perfect Garden however is more than just following a recipe.

It is about creating a garden with a personality, a life form and a soul of its own and really knowing what the garden owners want, getting to know them and what makes them tick. We then need to express that individuality in the form of an outdoor piece of living garden artwork.

We need to be brave enough to tweak the recipe as we go. Don’t be scared to evolve the design as the garden is being built and having your designer engaged throughout the build can be the difference between a great garden and the perfect garden. What’s on paper should not always be set in stone. Making a wall 200mm higher or lower, or changing the plants to create a better foliage contrast can often make all the difference to even the very best documented design.

That special formula, where all elements come together, happened with our stunning Sorrento project, featured on the magazine cover. The natural coastal setting of mature, gnarly wind-swept trees with years of character in the form of the scars created by the harsh elements was there.

The architects had designed an incredible home and the clients had a clear brief and were open for us to stamp our creative flair to the external spaces with their full trust and support

What was on paper did evolve a little along the way to obtain the best result. In response to an evolving brief, additional retaining walls were required, some plant species were tweaked, and several critical decisions were made on site where all the existing and external elements needed to be carefully considered. The result is simply breathtaking; anyone who enters the garden immediately feels a sense of calm with an immediate connection to the heart and soul of the garden. It’s that special intangible feeling that you simply can’t explain in words. Immersing yourself in the garden just makes you feel good.

There is no right or wrong in landscape design but there is a distinct difference between a garden that just follows a recipe and one that has a soul and truly belongs and engages with the user and surrounds.

It’s that sense of belonging and that intangible magic formula that all perfectly combine to create a garden soul that personally connects to the owners, and to me and this is what makes “The Perfect Garden”.

The Sorrento Project won Residential Landscape of the Year, Landscape Design over 200m2 and Plants in the Landscape at the 2019 Victorian Landscaping Awards for Steve and his team from COS Design. Landscape Construction - Tintuppa Landscapes