Cottage plants combine with circular paving to create a relaxed look
Story: Susan Walker
Photos: Patrick Redmond
Given the off-standard size of the front garden, amplification of the space was required here. It also needed to be functional to link the pedestrian entry to the front patio and the side access points to the rear.
The style needed to be in keeping with the period charm of the property and, to this aim, the owners offered old red bricks that mingle well with designer black granite cobblestones. Although a modern product, when used as edging alongside classic herringbone brick paving, the overall feel is of a time-worn entrance.
The brick pathway was designed in a circular fashion, giving off access points in all directions. The centerpiece is a weeping cherry with a rounded canopy that affords the owners a showy display of traditional double pink blooms in spring.
Only drought-tolerant cottage-type plants were used, among them dwarf English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’) and baby agapanthus (Agapanthus ‘Snowstorm’) as edging, Limonium perezii as underplanting to the weeping cherry, bearded iris (Iris germanica) for romance and standard roses for grandeur. An informal camellia espalier with an underplanted azalea hedge was selected for the border to add a touch of formality.
All these plants are sustained via a special grey water system, installed alongside the usual drip tube, to supplement the irrigation over the hot summer.
About the author: Susan Walker is a Melbourne-based garden designer and principal of The Garden Design Gallery.
