Better Homes and Gardens (Australia)
11 DESIGN TIPS
Plantings at Windyridge take into account the aspect of the garden – there are always places of shade and all-day sun – and the sloping land. It’s a place where design tricks are entirely and perfectly natural.
1 POWER OF PINK
When greenery dominates, give it a vibrant run for its money with big and bold flowers – cool-climate lovers such as the rhododendron never fail to star!
2 HOW TO FAKE IT!
Sometimes your soil type doesn’t suit the plants you want in your garden. Instead, create an artificial environment in a pot – here using a succulent po ing mix for Sedum sieboldii.
3 SEASONAL CHANGE
Peonies are a must in any cool-climate garden. You can grow herbaceous peonies as an informal summer hedge that flowers in spring and dies down in winter, then give a new look to your garden by planting winter annuals such as primulas.
4 CREATE SUSPENSE
Hardscapes such as paths, edging, steps, terracing and walls can play a subtle role in creating the natural rooms – such as this pond courtyard – that blend from one into the other.
5 EVEN LOWS CAN BE HIGHLIGHTS
Create layers, not only of your land, but also of your plants – from trees to understorey shrubs to groundcovers. Embrace texture and colour and see how the many shades of green are exploited by the light as it falls on fat, folding foliage or through lacy canopies. It’s an ideal backdrop for a weathered garden bench.
CREATE A GENTLE GARDEN TAPESTRY RICH IN VOLUME TEXTURE AND COLOUR
6 YOUR SECRET GARDEN
Create the illusion your garden is much larger than it is with a brick wall set 1m from your boundary and trees or a hedge in between, and a striking plinth showcased by an arch.
7 JUST ADD WATER
Introduce lovely liquid landscapes with ponds – or water features – as the sight and sound create a calming space.
8 MAD FOR MOISTURE
Lush-leafed hostas are among the plants that will happily sit where water gathers at the base of a gentle slope. But, as this is the reason water-loving snails move in, keep a lookout!
9 GRASS IS GREENER
You don’t need expensive retaining walls to terrace a gentle slope. A lawn is much cheaper and easier to maintain. And a wraparound tree bench gives you a spot to admire it!
10 FALL FOR THIS
This looks so grand, but imagine a mini version in your shady courtyard with a water feature, small pond and ferns growing in hanging pots.
11 CLAY FEVER
While hardscapes are generally bare essentials, huge inanimate pots can animate the life around them. A giant urn rising from a cluster of weeping maples is a counterpoint to – and helps accentuate – the texture of the surrounding foliage.