Ian Barker Gardens has recently completed a stunning project in the prestigious leafy suburb of Camberwell, Melbourne.
Ian and his team were briefed to design and construct the abundance of garden and entertaining area surrounding the beautiful property. Areas requiring design included an entrance garden, side lawn garden, woodland garden, rear garden, pool area & side courtyard garden.
When designing, it was important that the garden not only complement the style of the home but also enhance the fine architecture. An array of magnificent perennials were used throughout to soften the lines of the house whilst providing interesting texture and spectacular colour throughout all seasons.
Among the random placement of bluestone paving, the team at Ian Barker Gardens designed and constructed stacked bluestone benches to add both architectural interest and seating functionality. The hardscape bluestone features were used to pull all garden areas together, ensuring the overall design flowed. A steel doorway structure - much like that used in Ian’s ‘Cross Roads’ display shown at the 2015 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show – was the final striking touch.
Ian and his team are confident that this garden will bring as much joy to its owners as it did for them in creating it. “A true pleasure”, Ian Barker – Director.
Quotes
“We see trust as two sided, when the designer and the client trust each other amazing things can happen. – Ian Barker, Director
“Our clients were brilliant– they put their complete trust in us and allowed us to really immerse ourselves in the design” – Ian Barker, Director
“Given the size of the project we were able to have fun creating distinct pockets in the garden that were entirely different from each other. The challenge however was to make sure all elements came together to form a cohesive landscape” – Ian Barker, Director
“It’s a real balancing act blending the old with the new, but when done well it can be breathtaking” – Ian Barker, Director.
What were the key challenges?
Level challenges with the pool and lawn area
Grass tennis court wasn’t attractive, needed to disguise somehow
Rear garden wrapped around existing court
Existing lawn sloped to tennis court
NB - There were no budget or design constraints given by the clients
What was the brief?
For Ian Barker Gardens to design and construct all garden areas surrounding the property in Camberwell, Victoria. Areas included:
An entrance garden
Side lawn garden
Woodland garden
Rear garden
Pool area
Side courtyard garden
To put a modern spin on the landscape surrounding the heritage home (with heritage overlay)
The clients have a large extended family and are big on outdoor entertaining. Garden needed to have:
A cubby house for the younger children
Play area for the kids to run and hide
A large pool for extended family (30 people every 1-2 weeks)
Enough room for everyone to have their own space
A veggie garden
Shady tree area for people to relax underKeep as many of the existing trees as possibleSoften the look of the tennis court
Key products used:
Random Bluestone crazy paving
1200 x 600mm Torino Granite Pavers
Corten steel doorway (feature)
Polished concrete (outdoor living area)
Pizza oven
Outdoor kitchen
Timber sleeper retaining wall
Red brick retaining wall
Buffed concrete benches (in pool area)
Negative edge titled pool wall
Planting palette included:
Helenium ‘Mahogany’
Agastache ‘Sweet Lili’
Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’
Cercis Canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’
Echinops ‘Taplow Blue’
Mackaya Bella
Prunus Lusitanica Hedge
Dichondra lawn with bulbs
Ficus Pumila attached to tennis court fence with black mesh
What were the solutions?
Merging the old with the new – the team at Ian Barker Gardens used blue stone crazy paving to marry in with the existing bluestone elements found in the hardscape and added in textured mottled granite for the modern element. These two materials were used constantly throughout the build.
A combination of traditional materials with contemporary design styles were used – sharp edges on hard services, to balance the feel of old and new.
Steps were introduced to help with the grass/pool/court levels
The entertainment area was set on the same level as the tennis court. The team structured the lawn and built a red brick retaining wall to deliberately match in with the red bricks in the heritage home.
