This quintessentially Australian garden is an inspired example of what can be achieved when a skilled landscape designer with an in-depth knowledge of permaculture is at the helm.
Designed by Christopher Bissels, director of Full Potential Landscapes, the low carbon footprint garden is the envy of the neighbours in Mullum Creek Estate where sustainable, environmentally friendly design isn’t just preferred, it’s mandated.
“The brief was to design and create a sustainable low carbon footprint garden that would produce some of the household’s food,” explains Chris. “One of the clients, Doug, is a very keen gardener and he wanted a garden with lots of space to grow edible plants, but he also wanted the garden to be aesthetically pleasing. The other client, Vanessa, wanted a pool that overlooked the garden; somewhere to relax and enjoy the landscape. We were able to achieve both Doug and Vanessa’s visions.”
The eco-estate, east of Melbourne, has strict environmental criteria and promotes the use of upcycled materials and sustainable living. This didn’t present too much of a challenge as Chris specialises in environmentally friendly, permaculture-basedlow cardesign. He knew his team had the skills and knowledge to ensure the build would be sustainable and have minimal environmental impact.
Most of the materials used by the Full Potential Landscapes’ construction team in this project are eco-friendly — even the concrete was specifically formulated to reduce the environmental impacts of the cementitious binders. All other materials were sustainably sourced and leftover materials were recycled.
“We used a range of upcycled and locally sourced materials to ensure that the construction of the garden had a low carbon footprint,” says Chris. “This included recycled sleepers sourced from the old train line between Healesville and Yarra Glen in the Yarra Valley. These were used to make a timber jetty that overhangs the water of the frog bog. Located at the lowest point of the property is a meandering dry creek bed that turns into a frog bog where frogs and other creatures, such as dragonflies, can be found.
“The large landscape rocks were also locally sourced — from Coldstream in the Yarra Valley — as was the bluestone used to tile the outside wall of the pool.” An abundance of edible plants have been expertly interwoven throughout the garden, from the wicking bed veggie patches to the espalier fruit trees that have been used to create a living fence.
“The majority of the other plants are native or indigenous. They not only complement the established Queensland bottle trees, they create habitat and encourage native fauna into the landscape,” says Chris. “This is also a drought-tolerant garden designed to conserve water. The harvested water is either directed to the frog bog or tanks which hold water that can be reused throughout the garden.”
As for Vanessa’s must-have pool, it boasts a negative edge design and uses cutting-edge technology from EnviroSwim to ensure there is no need to use harmful chemicals such as chlorine. Says Chris, “On a still day you can see the trees reflected on the water and at night, it reflects the star-filled sky. Located next to the pool is a deck that takes in a view of the whole garden and looks out over the Mullum Creek bushland.”
The owners now have a garden that is not just productive, low-maintenance and a haven for local wildlife, it’s a haven where they can retreat, relax or enjoy time with family.
Landscape Design and Construction
