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CULTIVATED MANNER - Garden Life

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cultivated manner<br />

The owners’ love of French style and formality inspired the design<br />

of this large Sydney garden where symmetry reigns supreme.<br />

PhotograPhs nicholas watt Production + words richard unsworth


garden<br />

this Page early morning sunlight<br />

filters through the leaves of a slender<br />

weavers Bamboo. oPPosite Page<br />

Palms and mature fig trees provide<br />

a shady canopy over the driveway.<br />

159


garden<br />

Wandering up the 100-metre-long driveway of this grand French-style<br />

residence in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, I was entranced by the possibilities<br />

of the amazing site. The location, scale and scope of the project were<br />

a dream come true. We had previously designed two other gardens for<br />

the clients and understood their love of all things formal and French.<br />

Working with the grand architecture of the newly built house, we created a bold<br />

and formal garden with clean lines and strong geometry, softened by planting and<br />

ornamentation. Avoiding the clichéd formula of box hedges, murrayas and gardenias,<br />

we livened things up a little with plants not usually associated with formal gardens,<br />

such as jade (Crassula ovata) and bromeliads (Alcantarea imperialis ‘Rubra’).<br />

When we first viewed the property, the gardens along the driveway had no structure.<br />

Existing clumps of palms and several mature Moreton Bay figs (Ficus macrophylla)<br />

created a lovely canopied effect but it needed structure to make the entry inviting. We<br />

terraced the driveway gardens using sandstone reclaimed from the demolished house<br />

and created formal beds that helped to provide strong form and weight.<br />

To add to the sense of grandeur we introduced oversized contemporary bowls planted<br />

with advanced specimens of cycads (Cycas revoluta) and, behind the wrought-iron<br />

gates, a pair of water features and another pair of the same planters. The garden beds<br />

were designed with a central grouping of architectural feature plants with a contrasting<br />

lower layer, all encased in a low Japanese box hedge (Buxus microphylla japonica).<br />

Advanced bromeliads were planted with giant mondo (Ophiopogon jaburan), and the<br />

long sword-shaped leaves of Gymea lily (Doryanthes excelsa) provide a foil for the softer<br />

silvery grey form of New Zealand rock lily (Arthropodium cirrhatum).


we livened things up a little with plants not usually<br />

associated with formal gardens, such as jade.<br />

this Page simple, clean lines and structured planting are softened by the lush surrounding landscape. oPPosite Page, toP Much of the rear of the house<br />

is covered in Boston ivy which is a vigorous climber. BottoM Keteleeri chinese juniper makes a pleasing backdrop to a traditional anduze urn.<br />

161


garden<br />

162<br />

boston ivy instantly softens and<br />

ages any surface. in winter its bare stems<br />

add a sense of promise for the spring.<br />

this Page a mirrored water feature framed in Boston ivy provides tranquillity in the porte- cochere.


garden<br />

this Page, cLocKwise FroM toP LeFt accent<br />

plants such as sago palms in oversized bowls<br />

are repeated along the driveway to create<br />

a sense of grandeur and arrival. Formal<br />

with a twist, the poolside planting provides<br />

year-round interest, with agave, bromeliad<br />

and jade all used for their sculptural qualities.<br />

tightly clipped hedges of bush germander<br />

frame architectural plants such as the spear lily.<br />

164<br />

At the front of the house, jade planted en masse softens the borders of both driveway<br />

and tennis court and creates a wonderfully organic low border hedge. Behind this, we<br />

planted bush germander (Teucrium fruticans), and inside the beds we placed oversized<br />

antique olive jars, further clumps of Gymea lily and white salvia for a soft yet structured<br />

Mediterranean look. To provide scale and autumn colour we added tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica)<br />

and ornamental pear (Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’). Textural layering of contrasting plants<br />

adds depth and interest, and softer elements such as bamboo, jade, Boston ivy and mature<br />

trees keep it from appearing stiff.<br />

Framing the front of the house a pair of Wollemi pines (Wollemia nobilis) stand<br />

majestically. In the porte-cochere, Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) naturalises the<br />

water feature of old French bronze spouts, an antiqued mirror and architectural moulding.<br />

It also covers the bulk of the rear of the house. A wonderful climber, it instantly softens<br />

and ages any surface. In winter its bare stems add a sense of promise for the spring.<br />

Raised garden beds surround and define the pool area, with a large bronze striated<br />

urn providing a strong focal point. Large-format travertine pavers afford a soft, weathered<br />

feel underfoot. This area provided an opportunity to contrast different clipped forms:<br />

Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica) and teucrium balls sit behind the box hedge;<br />

Strobilanthes, Gymea lily and rock lily soften the topiary.<br />

For further interest we placed specimen plants in containers around the pool, including<br />

a pair of variegated agave (Agave americana ‘Mediopicta’) in old Turkish urns and large<br />

bromeliads in contemporary bowls, with pots of massed succulents (Echeveria sp.) flanking<br />

the barbecue. The graceful Slender Weavers Bamboo (Bambusa textilis ‘Gracilis’) and<br />

Keteleeri Chinese juniper (Juniperus keteleeri) provide privacy at the rear of the property.<br />

This is a great combination of an amazing site and fabulous architecture and now,<br />

a garden with soul that will evolve and grow with its owners.<br />

For more go to gardenlife.com.au.

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