Secret Gardens of Sydney: Turning a site’s biggest problem into its best asset

WHERE some saw problems, one designer saw the opportunity for a stunning garden with a relaxed coastal vibe.

HOME LANDSCAPING Randwick garden designed by Secret Gardens of Sydney

In many ways, this garden was all wrong. There was no proper off-street parking and the block was not conventionally appealing with a significant slope at the rear from one side to the other.

But where some saw problems, Secret Gardens of Sydney director Matt Cantwell saw opportunities.

Just half a kilometre back from Coogee Beach, Matt says it was an ideal spot for a meandering garden with a relaxed coastal vibe.

“When we inherited that space at the back, it was a large rolling lawn and it is quite a big drop down from left to right,” he says.

“Too many clients focus on levelling things out which adds to the cost of the work but you can lose important details as well.”

The clients’ brief was to include three main elements — an entertaining area, a lawn and a pool with enough space to allow their teenage children to soak up some vitamin D.

They also needed designated off-street parking that would connect with the house and garden.

Just to top it all off, the Californian bungalow would be renovated at the same time as the landscaping was installed. None of this phased Matt.

“One of the safest investments you can make is modernising a property with a bit of heritage to it,” he says.

“When you drive down the street, you can see it’s an older home but whether through the colour scheme or planting, it is evident there is a young family on the inside.”

Wide steps provide a relaxed transition between the garden’s levels.

Colour, texture and shape were the starting points for selecting plants.

BALANCED APPROACH

Having decided to work with the topography of the site, Matt sorted out how much space to dedicate to entertaining.

After discussing it with the clients, he opted for a modest space leading off the house.

“They didn’t want a massive entertaining area and sometimes if the house is open to the backyard, it doesn’t need to be so big,” Matt says. “It is always nice to have the spaces in proportion and we’ve designed it so that the lawn balances with the pool area.”

To encourage movement and make connections through the garden, Matt specified steps in sets of twos and threes.

Glass pool fencing ensured an uninterrupted vista of the garden from the sundeck.

Plant selection was dictated by the low maintenance coastal style.

This works well on sites with gentle slopes and, Matt says, if done well can create points of interest within the garden.

“I would always use steps as a focal point like a sculptural element,” he says. “Level changes create interest and detail.”

Indeed, he says the most successful gardens rely on simple elements like these to provide focus rather than something obvious like water features or sculptures.

“As we mature as garden designers, we are less reliant on tricks in the garden and look more towards balance,” Matt says.

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“I might need a bit of garden bling so I am happy to include water features or sculptures, but they are not necessarily making a garden successful. The best gardens often have little in them.”

Plant selection was very much dictated by the low maintenance coastal style the clients had requested and the local soil conditions.

“Understanding the plant selections and how they perform is important,” he says.

“A lot of people might think there is no colour in this garden but I don’t think about flowers — they are a bonus.

“Colour, texture and shape — they are the starting points.”

The relaxed pool deck area is surrounded by lush green walls of plantings.

Key to a successful planting scheme is understanding how plants will perform next to each other and what their maintenance requirements might be longer term.

“You don’t want one plant growing much faster than the one next to it,” Matt says.

“You also have to consider the soil conditions. A gardenia would not be good here because aside from it being quite a different colour and look, it has quite different cultural requirements.

“This soil is quite sandy around here and that runs quite deep.”

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Because the owners wanted a cohesive look, Matt’s team also designed and installed the front garden which overlooks the street.

Entertaining areas were kept modest in the design.

The best gardens are often the simplest.

He says it is always about finding a balance between public and private that the owners are comfortable with.

“When we are renovating a front garden, the question is if we are planting for the owners or for the street,” Matt says.

“Do you want privacy so people can’t see in? In some cases, it is acting like the back garden if the aspect is better or the garden is larger.”

In this case, the garden was large enough to enjoy, with a veranda overlooking the sloping front yard.

Matt says it is an area worth investing in.

“Many clients don’t see the front garden as somewhere to sit but whether it’s somewhere to wait for a taxi or a place to take a phone call, it’s worth paying attention to,” he says.

In a nutshell

• Work with the slope of the site to create interest and avoid the expense of excavation.

• Rather than show-stopping pieces like sculptures or water features, use simple devices like steps to provide focus.

• Choose your plants carefully to suit local growing conditions. Ensure you understand growth rates for a well-balanced result.

Garden bling was included with sculptural pieces.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

While all this was going on, the renovation on the house continued.

Having worked with the builder before, Matt says the days fell into a natural pattern.

“The builder does major construction and then we do major construction on the garden,” Matt says.

“Then we disappear for a while and then you come back to do things like the retaining wall and the tiling.

“We are able to maintain enough contact with the project as it progresses but we are staying out of his way because the client always wants to get into the house as soon as possible.”

When time comes for planting, Matt says he walks the clients through it to give them a thorough vision of how the garden will look.

Staying in the loop throughout the process while keeping an open mind is the best path to a successful outcome, Matt says.

“Sometimes the worst thing that could happen is that everything goes as per the plan.”

Words Robyn Willis

Pictures: Nicholas Watt

Stylist: Cool Edies

The brief

To take a sloping site and create a low maintenance but beautiful multipurpose garden with pool, entertaining area and lawn that complements a newly renovated heritage home.

• Landscape architect: Secret Gardens of Sydney, secretgardens.com.au
• Builders: CHBR, chbr.com.au
• Owners: Michael and Sam Kern
• The source: Himalayan honed sandstone from Amber, ambertiles.com.au
• Lounge from Cosh Living, coshliving.com.au

Originally published as Secret Gardens of Sydney: Turning a site’s biggest problem into its best asset