This garden in Canberra has given me so much pleasure. Above, as it looked when I first went on site and below, when the final design had been put into place.
The finished garden – smooth curving lawns, a new box-edged terrace and mixed beds
The owner, Joyce, was soon to be retiring after many years of dedication to her office job. She was excited to be freeing up extra time for new activities and nurturing a revamped garden was high on the list.
I sat down with Joyce and her husband to explore their requirements, likes and dislikes, their budget and their ideas. Joyce was a joy to work with from the very start – keen to engage and eager for suggestions.
We created a large lawn in the centre, which is Joyce’s husband’s pride and joy, with meandering paths to the back of the garden. These will be hidden from view once the plants around the lawn border grow up. We also designed in a quiet seating area, a children’s grotto, space for plenty of vegetables and an extended terrace. The original thinking was to extend the existing terrace out into the garden, but we tried a few options on paper and settled for a more secluded area running alongside the house. When Botanical Places started the works they found a terrace already existed exactly where we had placed it, hidden under the lawn. It is always nice to know that someone else back in history also thought it was a good idea!
Joyce was fully involved throughout the project, adding her own ‘wiggles’ to the path and her own selections at the nursery to create a totally unique, personalised space. I have returned a number of times to see Joyce and her garden and the huge smile on her face makes my day every time I see her. She has put so much love into the plants and it shows through as soon as you walk in. I have never seen such happy and fast growing plants!
Janna Schreier Garden Design 