Touring a dream garden designed around functionality | Garden Design | Gardening Australia

Hannah visits a dream garden designed with repurposed materials, local plants and vision. Subscribe 🔔 http://ab.co/GA-subscribe
Hannah visits the dream garden of Debbie Crawford. Situated on a sloping block in suburban Hobart, the garden is divided by organic paths, stonework with an integrated, functional design that’s perfectly tailored to its owner. Debbie’s dream included a fire pit for entertaining, a water feature and a nook to sit in and watch the moon rise. “I wanted to be able to cook out of the garden... One thing we didn't want was lawn, and we wanted it to be as native as possible. Low maintenance but also pretty.” With firm ideas in mind, rather than engage a designer, Debbie reached out to a local landscaper whose use of natural materials suited her vision. “I really liked his photos... I thought, we could work as a team.”

Jethro Plunkett and his team brought Debbie’s dream garden to life in an incredible transformation. With 300 tons of stone boulders hauled up the narrow driveway, Jethro says, “there's more stone here than at the quarry, potentially.” This huge effort has resulted in beautiful, organic boundaries and retaining walls with each stone carefully stacked so that there are no straight lines. Stone also creates a warmer micro-climate which is beneficial in cool temperate Tasmania. Jethro says, “the benefits of the stone are great. There's this thermal mass they create, they passively drain, they've got a really nice natural feel to them, and we feel like they fit the lay of the land perfectly.”

Plants such as raspberry and quince were existing when Jethro joined the project, and he says, “a lot of the choices complemented that.” They’ve planted colorful perennials and drought tolerant natives to add habitat and reduce maintenance. Jethro says, “it really was something that evolved. Some things worked and if they worked, we could repeat them. Some things didn't and we tried them in other places. The joy of gardening is the joy of it evolving and learning.” Jethro says plants like blue moon, seaside daisies and salvia are “hard-working plants and against the dry, warm, stone they seem to do really well. Great pollinators for the vegie garden and just a really nice pop of colour.” They’ve also incorporated cushion bush which is native to the high plains of Tasmania and nestles perfectly into the stone.

To future proof the layout, they’ve sculpted the land to have flat terraced areas and all the raised vegie beds and retaining walls are at waist height. Debbie says, “I’m a physio by trade, so bending over I know is a bit vulnerable. Your knees aren't as good as you get older... it's easier to control the soil, too." The steep driveway has been completely reinforced and features an intersection of natural elements that lead up to the gate depicting Kunanyi mountain. Jethro says, “the native garden blends in really well, it's just starting to spill over the sides and really soften the edge... it looks like it could be in the middle of the bush.”

If you’re looking to engage a landscaper to realise your garden dream, Jethro says, "find someone whose style and work resonates... and then definitely meet the person and feel how you get along.... if you've got that, you've resolved half your issues already.” Debbie says the best approach is “being flexible... if you're rigid in what you think something’s going to look like, you're bound to fail. Trust in who you're working with, that they are thinking along your lines as well” Jethro says, “as a landscaper, you put a lot of stewardship into the gardens you work on. You need to remember they're not your gardens, you're doing it for someone else... You can hold their hand and help them get there, impart all your knowledge, but as long as they're happy, we're happy.” Re-designing a garden can take years and lots of effort but it's worth having patience. Getting a few helping hands, and heads, together can make your dream garden better than you ever imagined.
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