Entry to the garden is now a journey through different layers of green. “We used lower-level plantings around the stairs and more architectural plants as you reach the upper lawn level,” says Lyndall. The garden bed at the top of the retaining wall is filled with blue chalksticks ( Senecio serpens), a hardy, drought-tolerant succulent with silver-blue foliage. Flowing over the wall is Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’. A cardboard palm ( Zamia furfuracea) can be seen on the left.
| Side lines The lawn is ringed with 75mm-high Corten steel edging, which helps to define the lawn and separate it from the Zoysia grass and garden, which is planted as a 1.5m-wide ribbon of dense, low-level foliage. Olive branch Three mature olive trees and the greyed-off timber boardwalk were all part of the original garden. Lyndall drew on those elements by including silvery-grey tones in the new plantings. Stepping out The stepping stones are ‘Endicott’ split stone from Eco Outdoor. They were individually hand-cut and the spacing between them was designed to suit the homeowner’s stride. Cute cluster A group of pots creates a focal point at the corner of the lower deck. A frangipani in an oversized pot lends height while an eye-catching foxtail fern ( Asparagus densiflorus ‘Myersii’) fills the lowest pot. Big screen A thick hedge of Viburnum odoratissimum screens the garden from the street, ensuring complete privacy. The viburnum tolerates full sun, copes with coastal winds and even reduces the noise from the street.