On Balance A Sydney garden is expertly reimagined.

FEATURE PLANTS

TREES & SHRUBS Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis ‘Snow Maiden’) Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Osakazuki’) Weeping Japanese maple (A. palmatum ‘Dissectum Seiryu’) Silver birch (Betula pendula) GRASSES Mat rush (Lomandra ‘Tanika’) Little fountain silver feather grass (Miscanthus ‘Kleine Fontaine’) Switch grass (Panicum virgatum) GROUNDCOVERS Blue star creeper (Pratia pedunculata) New Zealand rock lily (Arthropodium ‘Te Puna’) Spur flower (Plectranthus ‘Nico’) Pewter plant (Strobilanthes gossypinus)

A lobe-leafed paper plant (Fatsia japonica) reaches skyward in the courtyard. Boston ivy grows along the wall with dwarf New Zealand rock lily in the planter box. Aren Taupe travertine pavers, Stonetile Ind. OPPOSITE Top The top balcony is exposed to sun and wind, so Bethany planted a mix of chalk sticks (Senecio serpens), Lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina), Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis ‘Snow Maiden’) and three grasses – dwarf silver feather grass (Miscanthus ‘Kleine Fontaine’), mat rush (Lomandra ‘Tanika’) and Switch grass (Panicum virgatum). OPPOSITE Bottom A blackened mirror on the back wall of the courtyard amplifies the space and visually doubles the greenery. Planted at the base of the silver birch is a mix of Plectranthus ‘Nico’, Strobilanthes gossypinus, Fatsia japonica and two types of New Zealand rock lily, with Boston ivy climbing the walls.

In the rooftop garden above the garage, which is accessible onlybyladder,thereisamere50cmofsoildepth.Theplanting therehadtobe“thetoughtestofthetough”,soBethanyopted forthreetypesofgrassesandMediterraneanSpurge(Euphorbia wulfenii)withcreepingboobialla(Myoporum‘Yareena’)spilling overthefront.Thesamegrasseshavebeenusedonthetop-level balcony, where Bethany has also added succulents and hardy shrubsthatcancopewithsunandwindexposure.

By contrast, the ground-floor side courtyard contains lush layers of shade-loving species, including a silver birch that’s underplantedwithdark-greenfoliageplantssuchasPlectranthus ‘Nico’andStrobilanthesgossypinus.Thesearemixedwithstrappy arthropodiumsandlobe-leafedFatsiajaponica,whileBostonivy climbsthewalls.Adark-greymirrorononewallhelpstocreate a sense of depth, making the space feel bigger than it is. “If everythingwasthesameleafshapehereitwouldlookbland,but mixingthefoliagetypeshelpsenlargethespace, making it lush, invitingandfulloftexture,”saysBethany.

Wherevertherewasanopportunitytoaddgreenery–astrip ofplanterboxesoutsidethemainensuite,orapatchoutsidethe children’s bathroom – Bethany has planted a mix of hardy succulents and climbers. “The presence of plants will always softenaspace,creatinginterestandasenseofdepth,”shesays. “Givingupspaceforplantshasanamazingeffect.” #

Bethany Williamson Landscape Architecture, Melbourne, Victoria; bethanywilliamson.com.au. Neil Architecture, Richmond, Victoria; (03) 9427 9833 or neilarchitecture.com.au.

Landscape architect Sophie Greive of Think Outside Gardens transformed this alfresco area as part of a whole-garden upgrade. The paved area features travertine tiles laid in a diamond pattern with kidney weed (Dichondra repens) planted between the tiles. The layered planting in the corner includes a crepe myrtle underplanted with hydrangeas and low-level Japanese box. The wall is covered in climbing fig (Ficus pumila) and the pots are filled with red geraniums. Pots from Think Outside Gardens. Outdoor furniture from Janus et Cie.

ON BALANCE

By reconfiguring the space allocations in this sydney garden, landscape architect sophie greive has delivered a layout with flow and a sense of proportion.

STORY Elizabeth Wilson | PHOTOGRAPHY Anson Smart

Just as a home’s interiors require an occasional refresh, the garden can benefit from a re-think and renovation, too. And that was certainly the case with the rear garden of this residence in Sydney’s north.

When landscape architect Sophie Greive from Think Outside Gardens was enlisted to redesign this space, she could see that the solution lay in reconfiguring elements of the layout. It didn’t call for a dramatic overhaul as much as a “rearrangement”, along with a stronger planting palette.

Pre-renovation, the space was very pragmatic. Measuring 20 metres in length and 9 metres wide and tapering down to 6.5 metres at the rear fence, it comprised an area of synthetic turf off the rear of the house with narrow steps leading down to a large stretch of lawn and a pool framed by a lilly pilly hedge. The owners wanted to create more inviting, useable spaces, with an area dedicated to entertaining and a traditional garden of flowering plants. >

The garden now has three defined areas and an easy sense of flow. White-flowering crepe myrtles, gardenias, hydrangeas, geraniums and bougainvillea provide splashes of colour against a green-on-green backdrop. Crisp white pots in the pool area contain Magnolia ‘Little Gem’. Pots from Think Outside Gardens.