DREAM GARDEN
this lush tropical scheme in Miami marries classical features with bold foliage, which brings a cool, leafy feel to this family space
Classical features meet bold foliage in a tropical design in Miami.
WHAT WAS THE BRIEF FOR THIS GARDEN DESIGN?
The owners had bought a four-acre site in Miami, on which they built a new house and spa. The buildings have a classical architectural style and our brief was for a garden that would reflect this formality, while providing plenty of spaces for the owners’ children to play in. We also wanted to screen the neighbouring property, and to include lots of mature trees for a sense of permanence.
HOW DID YOU INTERPRET THE BRIEF?
We divided the garden into a number of distinct areas, connected by a ribbon-like pathway, which allows the children to cycle around the whole space easily. The area pictured is the entrance to the Bamboo Garden, and elsewhere, there is a courtyard lined with
Phoenix canariensis (date palms), a lily pond, a children’s garden, a swimming pool and a grotto with a mosaic floor.
The Bamboo Garden was designed to mask the neighbours’ house, but it also provides a leafy outlook from the office. The wall and classical pediment arch are built from reclaimed coquina, a coral stone that is found throughout this region, which the builders excavated while digging the foundations for the house.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR PLANT CHOICES?
We included large trees, such as this Elaeocarpus decipiens
(Japanese blueberry tree), for their size and scale, while the smaller plants were mostly chosen for their foliage shapes. I am also a great believer in selecting the right plant for the right place. The alocasia and anthurium both cope well with the dappled shade beneath the trees, while the pilea, which requires brighter conditions, enjoys the sunnier spot. The owners also wanted flowers and all the groundcover plants here produce beautiful blooms at various times of the year.
DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR COMBINING PLANTS EFFECTIVELY?
Many people choose plants for their flowers but as these last for just a few weeks or months, I feel it is better to select plants that have strong leaf shapes, too. I look for varieties with contrasting small, large and spiky foliage, then combine them in groups. By designing planting schemes in this way, the garden will always look good, with the leaf forms creating a beautiful backdrop to the flowers.
HOW CAN YOU MAKE A NEW GARDEN LOOK MORE ESTABLISHED?
This was a new garden, but we wanted it to appear as though it had been here for many years. One way to create the impression of an established garden is to use mature trees. We employ a tree broker who locates the species we are looking for, in gardens all over Florida, and then asks the owners if they are willing to sell them to us. I also plant bamboo; it grows very quickly here and will soon shoot up into towering forms. Another good tip is to use reclaimed stone for architectural features, as it is already weathered and will lend an aged appearance to new structures.
WHAT TYPE OF MAINTENANCE DOES THE GARDEN NEED?
We always install an irrigation system; in Florida, you generally need to water the plants every three days, but less often in the rainy season. We also make sure that the owners’ gardeners know about each plant and how to look after it. In early August, all large trees and shrubs are given a “hurricane trim” to minimise any damage if we have a severe storm and to prevent them from growing too large.