It’s hard to recognise this suburban oasis from the original barren backyard. Every room of the house had views onto the garden, but there wasn’t much to see: a tired lawn, sparse trees, standard brick barbeque, pebble mix swimming pool and the Hills Hoist.

Taking inspiration from landscapes in Rome for the design, this garden works so well because, as with any good design, key elements are interpreted, rather than copied. With layout, features and planting palette modified to suit the site and climate, the garden achieves a sense of grandeur and tranquillity usually associated with landscapes of much larger scale.

The space is divided into two sections: a summer-flowering and a white-flowering garden, and between the sweet perfumes, brilliant colour, sound of gently splashing water and clever use of borrowed vistas, you could be excused for thinking you were somewhere far from suburban Melbourne. 

Stunning blue tiles were used in place of the dated pool lining, pebbles reserved only for the feature stream connecting the pool to a new spa installed on the opposite side of the garden. The brilliant blue selected by the client was a key focus for the design, a colour echoed beautifully in the painted rear fence and surrounding plantings. Citrus, Roses, Lavender, Pencil Cedars and flushes of hot yellow and pink perennials complement the colour scheme and set off the amazing walk of Armeria maritima planted between sandstone pavers. Drawing the eye towards the rear gate, the bold magenta strip highlights a cleverly borrowed landscape beyond. What is actually a standard suburban park appears from inside the property as an extension of the garden space, adding to the illusion of grandeur.