SMALL WONDER
The power of great design is revealed in this completely revamped compact garden, which makes the most of every inch
There’s room for an elegant garden and a prized parking spot after this overhaul of an inner-Melbourne backyard
In Melbourne’s East St Kilda, Peter Couchman and his partner Erwin had a home and a quandary. They had an unused backyard parking spot they had to keep, but it left nowhere else for the garden they badly wanted. “It was a sad little spot no-one took any interest in – half car space, half clothesline and rubbish bins,” recalls Peter.
On a visit to the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show for inspiration, one garden in particular impressed him: “It was exactly what we wanted,” says Peter. “A design for a small space – simple, restful, and just lovely.” The garden was the work of Brett Robinson of Acre Landscape Architecture, so Peter and Erwin briefed him to “make paradise out of their parking lot”.
Expanding the indoor living area, they now have their garden and it entices them to cook, dine and relax outdoors. “When the weather’s good, the garden provides complete outdoor living from breakfast through dinner,” says Peter. This is what they imagined, along with a beautiful outlook and concealed bins and clothesline, but didn’t believe it to be possible.
To be functional and recreational in a postage-stamp sized plot is a tough ask, but their new garden achieves it with understated ease. The must-retain driveway and car space form the basis for the geometric layout, which incorporates rectangular forms in the deck and dining table. These dominant shapes then replicate those of the pavers. With details and layered seasonal planting, the effect is cohesive and uncluttered. “We use multiples of things - shapes and measurements – with the scale and proportion determined by the space needed for each area’s function,” explains Brett.
The starting point is the seamless indoor-outdoor boundary that ‘enlarges’ the living room, with the yellow stringybark deck at the same level as the indoor floor. “Just open the door and the living room floor continues out,” says Peter. “Previously, we had a step down to an unappealing gravelled area.”
On the deck is a hand-trowelled concrete table with integrated barbecue – cooking and dining combined. The eye-catching table is practical, but due to its form, finish and floating appearance it also resembles an art piece. The functionality of this area is well considered, with space to pull out chairs and room to manoeuvre at the barbecue. “The table is the centrepiece,” explains Peter. “It’s so easy to go from kitchen to outdoor table.” Above the table, three pendant lights hang from a tensioned cable creating charming night-time sparkles as well as practical lighting.
A timber bench seat is supported by a multi-functional retaining wall that also holds soil for plants. Then there’s the car space-cum-casual lounge area defined by pavers set among ground-hugging plants. It’s a sunny spot enriched by rambling vines and a potted citrus and herb garden. “I just love going out and sitting,” says Peter. The concrete paving strips were formed
up and poured in situ, a cost-saving measure as well as a repetition of materials to connect visually with the table.
Reinforcing mesh, mounted on the side fence, provides a frame for maidenhair vine to weave upwards. With regular clipping, this rambler forms a densely covered living wall that doesn’t encroach – a useful alternative to a hedge. A Virginia creeper grows on overhead criss-crossing cables, imparting a sense of the seasons – shady greens in summer, brilliant colour in autumn and infiltrating sun in winter – while the crepe myrtle tree reflects the garden’s seasonality. “With seasonal plants, it’s wonderful watching the varying moods of the garden,” says Peter.
Clipped buxus and tree ferns add year-round sculptural shapes, with graceful grasses, such as frosted curl, lomandra seascape and blue fescue adding texture, form and softness. The greens and greys of the plants, and the balanced overall composition, is calming, with plenty to contemplate from the window over winter. “After the garden went in and we’d lived with it a while, we realised how absolutely restful it felt and looked,” says Peter.
With the bins and clothesline now neatly housed behind the rear screening, the area is enjoyed year-round – outdoors in fine weather and viewed from indoors in the cooler months. A clever design has turned this mini space into an appealing oasis. “We just love the whole ambience of the garden,” says Peter. To see more of Brett’s work, visit acre.com.au. Garden installed by Signature Landscapes, signature-landscapes.com.au. Concrete work by Hungry Wolf Studio, hungrywolfstudio.com.au.
So many people get a designer and then tell them what to do. You really have to trust them PETER COUCHMAN, HOMEOWNER