The brief for our Kew Entertainer project was to redesign the entire garden, ensuring it reflected a modern take on classic style while complementing the contemporary feel of the home. High on our client’s list was a lawn area for the children to enjoy, privacy screening on both sides of the rear garden, and a designated entertaining space complete with a barbecue.
Challenges experienced during this design process included a slope on the property that required careful consideration as we aimed to create a more usable and accessible space. There were also the heritage overlays that existed on the property, which were a priority for us to maintain. Our design team overcame this through aligning the planting palette and design with the home, and it gradually becomes more contemporary the further into the garden you get.
In the front garden, we maintained the classic aesthetic to align with the house. We introduced a new timber picket fence featuring a sliding gate over the driveway, along with a separate pedestrian gate. This was complemented by a new driveway made of Kilmore exposed aggregate concrete. A sawn bluestone crazy paver path seamlessly ties the front garden together, enhanced by an Elaeagnus x ebbingeae screening hedge, Ajuga ‘Cailitn’s Giant’, and Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Pee Wee’. To provide additional privacy, we incorporated trees such as Lagerstroemia ‘Natchez’, Cercis Canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’, and Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’.
A red brick paved path meanders down the side garden, leading past various potted herbs. Upon entering the back garden, you are welcomed by multiple steps up to the beautiful lawn area, framed by three Acer buergerianums, with all pockets of the garden complete with lush garden beds. The planting palette includes Buxus microphylla, Tulbaghia violacea, Dichondra ‘Emerald Falls’, and a pleached Ficus hillii hedge, creating a lush and inviting atmosphere.
The key hardscapes throughout the backyard include a polished concrete barbecue bench with storage underneath, along with a bench seat surrounded by greenery and overlooked by a table and chairs. We have no doubt that the whole family will enjoy this garden for many years to come.
