Swathes of lush greenery and a clever raised path create a welcoming garden for this Sydney family, with plenty of fragrant herbs to make dinner even more delicious

Fragrant plantings combine with a relaxed, contemporary approach in this family-friendly garden

Freya Reid’s Sydney garden had to tick a few boxes. “It needed to be functional for a young family with a dog, with loads of herbs for me, and it also had to be low-maintenance for my husband,” she says of this charming hideaway on the lower North Shore. The garden is a delight for the Reid family – Freya, Peter, William, 9, and Sophia, 6. The kids play in the pool and with Jasper the dog in the backyard while the adults entertain and relax in the alfresco courtyard. They all savour the fragrant plantings.

The entrance is purposely distinctive. “It’s about first impressions from the front gate,” says Freya. “I wanted elements of surprise and a magical experience for my children and visitors.” She asked Fiona Ericsson of Sticks & Stones landscape design to devise a plant palette reminiscent of an English garden (sans roses), but befitting the local climate and their home’s modern architectural style.

The result is rustic, soft, flourishing but not overgrown, and structured - without using clipped hedges or plant balls. Step through the front gate onto a floating boardwalk path fringed with plants that soften its straight edges. Their heights fluctuate, their shapes vary from rounded to grass-like, and there is richness in the textural differences. Many of the plants are a natural bun shape, which Fiona chose for their easy care and form. Attractive foliage patterns pervade, along with grey-green, blue-green and silver leaf tones that complement the ModWood decking boards in Silver Gum and the colours of the house.

Flowers provide changing interest all year round, and Freya loves the Echium candicans ‘Pride of Madeira’, which flourish in their sunny position. “It’s fantastic to see the bees buzzing around the flowers,” she says. “The Echium encourages bees into the garden.”

A keen cook and entertainer, Freya had a wishlist that included as many herbs as possible without a vegie patch. She wanted a sensory experience, with the scent of rosemary, lavender and a lemon tree along the path. “They really nailed the brief,” she says of Sticks & Stones. The herbs include oregano, sage, lavender, basil, mint, coriander, bay, curry leaf and thyme among the Echium, Helichrysum petiolare licorice plant, Westringia longifolia ‘Long Leaf ’, Poa labillardieri tussock grass and Gaura lindheimeri butterfly bush. The kids love it, too, with budding chef William identifying and picking herbs, and Sophia chatting with the plants while watering them, checking that they feel OK.

The layers of plant textures and curvy shapes make for a relaxing foil to the contemporary architectural lines and continue up to the front door and into other garden areas. The outdoors connects with the indoors via garden views from every window.