ELLESMERE ST. Mt. HAWTHORN

The grass tree is a feature plant with real star quality, but needs plenty of space to perform. The grey planters are flat, chunky, smooth and angular. Then the river stones come into play. Varying shades and sizes of earthy red and brown tones, they add a touch of tailored chaos. The pavers are saw cut concrete, imbedded in summer fine gravel, which is made from crushed quartz. The effect is streamlined and other worldly.

Here the hardscaping reflects a starkness that is ‘designer urban’ but at the same time ‘western desert’. The garden encapsulates everything that is home grown and exotic about it’s geography; from space-age fantasy to the realities of water saving design.

The real genius of this design is the way that the industrial edge has been softened by a playfulness epitomised in the frisky hot pink seating and door.

The personality of the garden is in the lines, which are simple and straight, but the order is subtly subverted by the angles and shades that literally bounce around at varying degrees, mimicking the crazy hairdos of the grass trees, with their spiky leaves.

The real genius of this design is the way that the industrial edge has been softened by a playfulness epitomised in the frisky hot pink seating and door.

The large two-headed grass tree, emerging from an expansive grey planter, makes for a striking main feature. The gnarly jet-black trunk, contrasted with the warm, red river stones, and set in the round-cut opening of the smooth, geometric, grey concrete, is a work of art.

The water feature too is something special. Again using an industrial keynote, the very functional looking water cascade, hits the river stones producing a subtle, yet captivating water sound.

The interplay of glass and lighting in the garden is also a stellar component of the overall, futuristic effect. Melding indoor and outdoor and giving a utopian feel.

We really feel we have achieved a very liveable, as well as very lively, garden; which will not require a great deal of work to keep it looking fantastic.

Design – Evolve Landscape Design

View the photographs from the project