A small garden in Melbourne suburb Toorak was a blank canvas the first time designers Cameron and Stephanie Paterson of Grounded Gardens saw the site. During a recent remodel, the existing garden had been removed and the eco-conscious client had planned ahead by installing a graywater irrigation system to collect water from the washing machine and showers for use in a new garden.
Starting from scratch, Cameron Paterson designed a front courtyard as a focal point with native plants, shade trees, and a mix of drought tolerant perennials and grasses to create year-round color. Let’s take a look behind the fence:
Above: The large house number on the garage is stencil-cut steel. Next to the driveway, a front path set with free-form bluestone pavers is lined by drought-tolerant plants including Anigozanthos (commonly known as kangaroo paw), a silver bush of Leucophyta brownii, and Dieties Iridiodies (African iris). Above: Also planted alongside the front path are Correa Lawrenceana, Acacia Baileyana, Grevillia ‘Superb’, and Adenanthos Sericeus.
The graywater irrigation system filters waters from the homeowners’ showers and washing machine through a sand system and then pumps it into the garden through a drip system.
Above: Inside the front gate, a front courtyard doubles as an outdoor living room. Underfoot on the patio and path (which leads to the front door) are crazy paved slate and crushed granite. Above: Designer Stephanie Paterson helped the owners update their outdoor furniture with two Angelucci 20th Century Butterfly Chairs and Jardan’s Stanley Stool.
Growing against the facade of the house is a clump of variegated-leaf Sansevieria trifasciata.
Above: Grounded Gardens designed retaining walls to create raised planting beds along the fence line. Plants include (from L) Liriope Muscari, Acer Palmatum, Ranunculaceae, Limonium perezii, Arthrapodium cirratum, Santolini Chamaecyparissus, and Myoporaceae. Above: Growing next to the front door is an Acer Palmatum (Japanese maple tree). Above: In the backyard is a patio with crazy paved slate and an open-air pergola with suspended lighting. Designer Stephanie Paterson sourced the furniture, including a Tio Dining Table and Tio Chairs by Stockholm-based designer Massproductions.
Plants at the edge of the patio include Phlomis Fruiticosa, Buddleja davidii, Sedum Autumn joy, Euphorbia Mellifera, Olea Europeae Limonium Perezii, and Perovskia Atriplicifolia.
Above: The side of the house is planted with Berberus Vulgaris, Phlomis Fruiticosa, Sedum autumn joy, and Acer Palmatum.
For more of our favorite drought tolerant Australian garden designs, see:
When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.
Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites
Or Subscribe for Maximum Value!
For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.
Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites
For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.
Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Sorry! As a registered member you get 10 free posts from our archive (posts more than a year old) every 30 days. You have reached your limit for this 30-day period. If you would like to access unlimited posts from the archive (ad free, too), become a subscriber today, and keep reading as many articles as you want.
Full Access Individual Subscription
Benefits include:
Unlimited access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home sites
Ad-free browsing environment
Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
Receive the full-text daily newsletters
All features that Members have access to
Annual subscribers pay just 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
Sorry! You have reached your limit of three (3) free posts from our archive every 30 days. You can increase this to 10 posts by joining as a free Member, or read unlimited posts with no ads by becoming a paid Subscriber.
Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites
For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.
Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
Become a Member at no charge
When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.
Congratulations on becoming a Subscriber to Remodelista, Gardenista and The Organized Home! You now have access to many great features across the sites:
Unlimited access to all three sites
Ad-free browsing environment
Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
Receive any of the newsletters, including the the full-text daily Remodelista and Gardenista newsletters
Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
Congratulations on joining as a free Member of Remodelista, Gardenista and The Organized Home! You now have access to many great features across the sites:
Access to all posts published in the past year
Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites
If at any time you want to become a Subscriber and enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to all our content, just go to the My Account link and choose Subscribe.
Have a Question or Comment About This Post?
Join the conversation