Our recent press release on our Manly project told the story of how we created a truly usable family-friendly space at a challenging site in Sydney’s beach-side suburb. Click here to view our press release. To accompany this official write-up, we thought it would be a great opportunity to pull together some of the in-progress shots to show you just what goes in to a landscape design and construction process.
Before, a not-so-inviting entrance.
Creating an inviting and more private entrance were just some of the focus points during this landscape renovation. The existing loose white quartz pebble surface was replaced with 20mm Bluestone tiles laid in a modular French pattern over a new reinforced concrete slab which neatly curved and framed the leveled lawn. A row of Italian cypress, jasmine and prostrate rosemary were selected to line the garden bed to cover the imposing boundary wall as well as add privacy and create a lush, welcoming entrance.
A slippery slope: Previous stairs and pathway.
The side access was incomplete, with broken pathways and stairs which were dangerously slippery when wet. The family had requested that the design make the garden accessible and user-friendly, so a series of natural blue stone stairs and rendered walling addressed this. Strategic lighting was positioned to allow for accessibility to the garden into the evenings.
Lush planting included a mix of Red Tower Ginger, Silver Lady Fern, Lilly Pilly, Silver Spur Flower, Crepe Myrtle and Coastal Banksia.
Detailed finishes complete the family dining area.
A dedicated dining and entertaining area was one of the a key requests from the client. Spotted Gum bench seating was custom built along one side of the dining area to add a relaxed feel to the design and also create flexibility to the seating arrangement. Adjacent sits a built-in gas barbeque with sink to complete the space.
A wall cladded with natural stone was constructed between the dining area and lawn to distinguish the two areas, provide some sense of a separate dining room and add a contrast to the layers of green from the gardens.
A spacious and level lawn for play.
At the front of the property, a retaining wall was constructed to create a level space for the Sir Walter Soft Leaf Buffalo lawn. Surrounding planting included a mix of foliage which would withstand the coastal exposure, whilst creating a lush and private family-friendly garden.
In 2018, we were thrilled to have received two Silver awards from the LNA Master Landscapers Association for the design and construction of this landscape in Manly including “Residential Design and Construction over $75,000” and “Residential Construction over $150,000”. Click here to view our awards.
To view more pictures of our finished project, please click here.