H G GARDENS
“The proportions were all wrong,” says Sophie of the site’s original layout. “The placement of the pool fence meant there was a huge area of lawn around the pool and a small patch of garden.” By moving the pool fence closer to the pool, Sophie achieved a better sense of balance. A glass fence was the best solution in this case, allowing for clear sightlines from the rear of the house. Some of the lilly pilly hedge was removed to help enhance the sense of openness and the rest was clipped to a neat boundary border. Sophie also refurbished the pool, replacing the old coping with travertine tiles and adding spotted gum decking. “This maximised the useability of the pool area,” says Sophie. The centre of the garden is now a level area of lawn (Sir Walter Buffalo) edged with hydrangeas. A new custom-made shed, painted a deep charcoal, also sits in this space. The original central steps were only 1.2 metres wide, which looked disproportionately narrow, so they were widened to 3.2 metres, tiled with travertine pavers and edged in sandstone to echo the original landscaping materials in the garden. The new stairs have become an important axis point in the layout: they line up with french doors at the rear of the home, and form the central point for the new paved alfresco area, providing “symmetry of the built elements and a sense of formality,” says Sophie. Beside the steps is a pair of white-flowering crepe myrtles (Lagerstroemia natchez), underplanted with box and gardenias. For the alfresco area Sophie replaced the worn synthetic lawn with a pretty paved area, 5.7 metres by 5.7 metres, that flows directly off the rear of the house. The paving is laid in a diagonal diamond pattern, using 610mm x 610mm travertine tiles and featuring kidney weed (Dichondra repens) growing between the tiles. At the corners of the paving are white pots filled with red geraniums. The effect is eye-catchng and beckoning: the perfect space for outdoor dining. The result of Sophie’s ‘rearranging’ is a neat, eye-pleasing garden for all seasons. “There are now three distinct zones that are all nicely proportioned, without one being more dominant than the other,” says Sophie. “There is now a nice flow down the site.” # Think Outside Gardens, Paddington, NSW; thinkoutsidegardens.com.au.
TOP Red geraniums in white pots fulfil the owner’s wish
for the presence of traditional flowers and add zing to the paved patio. LEFT Crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia ‘Natchez’) underplanted with Japanese box and gardenias in front of a boundary hedge of Juniperus chinensis ‘Spartan’.
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AUSTRALIAN HOUSE & GARDEN
