Overarching goals

A driveway draped in greenery is just one of the triumphs in this garden where traditional and modern plantings unite.

Ben Scott, the designer of this garden in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, knows how to make an entrance. When confronted with an “awkward” ramp to the underground garage, he turned what could have been a gaping negative into an inviting plus. He covered the driveway with a steel arbour festooned with Boston ivy, cocooning visitors in greenery and casting dappled light on cobblestones below.

“It could have been a black hole, but this arbour gives it intention and purpose,” says Ben. “And the lucky owners get to drive through it every day.” That smart manoeuvre encapsulates the spirit of the garden itself, where Ben has turned the ordinary into the spectacular.

When he was hired in 2016, the Victorian red-brick villa wasinthemidstofamajorrenovation,withacontemporary addition on the back and a basement partially below ground. The only remnant of the original English-style garden was a tennis court at the back. The rest was a largely

blankslate,withBen’sdesignparametersbeingtheheritage facade,thedriveway,thetenniscourtandthenewextension.

The brief, he says, was to maximise the lawn area as recreational space for a family, now with three girls, taking advantage of the generous setback at the front, while creating another lawn and alfresco sitting area at the back. The garden also needed to reflect two highly divergent styles of architecture. Accordingly, Ben’s design features more formal, structured areas facing the street, while at the rear, it lets its hair down. The front, taking its cues from the home’s period facade, is defined by deep beds layered with perennials and hardscaping in rich bluestone (“such a traditional heritage material”, says Ben).

Two crabapple trees flanking the property provide symmetry and seasonal colour. They are accentuated by box hedging for evergreen structure and Ficus hedging for peripheral screening.

The garden beds needed to be deep, says Ben, to be in proportion with the distinctive and strong facade of the home. He planted them with spring and seasonal colour, largely avoiding English cottage-style plants that die off in winter and need yearly pruning. One exception was the inclusion of sedums (‘Autumn Joy’ and ‘Matrona’), which are layered with David Austin roses, Irisgermanica (bearded iris), Salvia nemorosa, society garlic, daphne, catmint and plectranthus. To this mix he added soft-leaf yuccas, fan aloes, canna lilies and euphorbias, plus mondo and miscanthus grasses, creating fascinating contrasts of colours, shapes and textures. “It’s period planting, but not in the traditional English style with hydrangeas and roses,” says Ben. “I’ve added succulents and grasses to perennials for a modern look.” Meanwhile, Buxus hedging frames the beds and 120m2 of manicured couch lawn.

At the back, the garden slips into a more laidback mode, a reflection of the addition, where an open-plan family room opens onto an alfresco entertaining area. Here, Ben used paler, less formal Andorra limestone paving and a looser planting plan, with groundcovers such as pigface and Indian hawthorn ( Rhaphiolepis indica ‘Oriental Pearl’) cascading over limestone walls below two crepe myrtles. Two Canadian maples by the pool provide a lush canopy in summer and brilliant red foliage in autumn, while at the perimeter, Ben opted for Ficus hedging for screening and privacy. “The back garden is simpler,” he says. “The complexplantingpaletteatthefrontgiveswaytosomething more pared back. Limestone is softer on the eye, and looks less formal.” Around 140m2 of lawn, again immaculately manicured, sits on a raised section forming the basement roof, on which a folded-metal sculpture by Sydney artist Dion Horstmans creates a dramatic focal point.

With so much lawn to be maintained, says Ben, the owner has turned into a “turf expert”, lovingly tending his tracts of grass with the latest mowing equipment. “It’s really beautiful and immaculately kept, an amazing piece of greenkeeping, just like the MCG.” But for Ben, it’s the arbour that shines above all else. “I love that arbour,” he says. “It has become iconic in the street and a great talking point. The effect is amazing now it’s fully draped.” # Ben Scott Landscape Design; www.benscott.com.au.

“I LOVE THIS ARBOUR. IT HAS BECOME A REAL TALKING POINT IN THE STREET .” BEN SCOTT, DESIGNER

Boston ivy envelops the archway in front of the underground garage, while a path framed by four lemon trees leads to a couch lawn, framed by Buxus hedging and deep beds containing society garlic ( Tulbaghia violacea), Salvia nemorosa ‘Amethyst’ and ‘Blue Hill’ and Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ and ‘Matrona’.

The path to the front door is flanked by Boston ivy (on archway), gardenias and Miscanthus. OPPOSITE Clockwise from top left Boston ivy cascades over a wall near the entry. The plantings honour the architecture in a modern way. The rear lawns are perfectly manicured by the owner; smoke bush ( Cotinus coggygria ‘Grace’), aloes and lomandra soften the new brickwork. A sculpture by Dion Horstmans is a focal point. Canadian maples stand sentinel beside the pool. A timber bench seat beside the front lawn is an inviting place to enjoy the garden.

The open structure of the arbour is the ideal showcase for a climbing plant like Boston ivy. An Iowa crabapple tree near the front gate was retained from the original garden to add maturity and height to the new layout. The bed below is fringed with gardenias ( Gardenia augusta ‘Florida’). Bluestone cobblestone paving, Eco Outdoor.