3 INNER-CITY GREEN

AS YOUNG INNER-CITY parents, the owners of this Sydney home were keen to transform their open-air courtyard into a nature-filled living zone. They knew the 8m x 5m space – sitting between the house and garage, a few steps from the open-plan kitchen/living area – had the potential to play a central role in the life of their household.

Their brief to designer Richard Unsworth of Garden Life was to create an entertaining space that would give them a “sense of nature in the city” while providing a safe play area for their young daughter. The centrepiece of Richard’s design is a 4m all-in-one day bed and planter, custom- made from aluminium and clad in pine. The plant palette is a mix of natives and exotics, all hardy and lush and selected to suit the north-facing location, which is exposed to full sun in summer and semi shade in winter.

“Each of the plants was chosen for its softness, movement and wild, natural beauty,” says Richard. At one end of the planter is a coastal banksia ( Banksia integrifolia) underplanted with foxtail fern ( Asparagus densiflorus ‘Meyersii’), combined with strappy plants such as walking iris ( Neomarica caerulea) and lush dwarf cardamom ( Alpinia nutans).

Artificial turf was the natural choice here, says Richard. “It requires minimal care and is hands and knees.” The wall is painted Porter’s Paints River Stone and covered in Boston ivy ( Parthenocissus tricuspidata). gardenlife.com.au

‘BE BOLD WITH THE SIZE SOFT HE ELEMENTS IN THE SPACE: DON’ T THINK SMALL JUST BECAUSE YOUR SPACE IS .’ Richard Uns worth