Stylish and contemporary with expansive city and harbourside views, are just some of the things now going for this pocket-sized GEM in Sydney’s lower North Shore since its significant transformation.
Joanne Green Landscape & Interior were contacted late 2015 by the owners of this 1990’s home and although an existing DA had been approved by council, Joanne Green was brought on board to bring the plans to life.
During the first site visit, it was evident that the garden had been left unkept for some time and had become completely overgrown with weeds and vegetation. The existing terrace was laid in bland concrete pavers and a small raised water feature had also been neglected. Although the site was small, the largest challenge was the accessibility to the area, or lack of! The side entrance connecting the garden to the road was positioned at a 1.5m height difference and featured a wooden ladder.
A now-inviting side entrance with sandstone paving and a custom spotted-gum balustrade. A significant upgrade from the ladder.
The owners wanted to maximise every inch of space on the petite site and had requested to include a swimming pool, a spacious entertaining terrace and an easy to care for lawn. Most importantly, the landscaping was to showcase the stunning city views.
The pool laid in "Black Russian" glass mosaic tiles now glitters in the afternoon sun, while the terrace positioned on the more sheltered side of the property, is laid in crazy paving which brings interest to the clean-lined design.
The compact swimming pool captures the afternoon sun and features glass fencing to retain the expansive harbour and city views.
To tackle the side access, locally sourced diamond-sawn sandstone was used to create flowing stairs and a pathway. Custom built spotted-gum balustrades, gates and screens completed the stylish and inviting entrance.
Lush planting was strategically designed to add to the existing foliage and bring softness to the rendered exterior of the home. Established Cypress trees located on the Southern boundary were kept to provide protection against the wind and are underplanted with Gymea lilies, Buxus and Persian Shield. Steel edging separates the soft leaf buffalo lawn from the garden beds which feature a tidy palette of topiarised Japanese box, Drawf mondo grass and Sweet Alyssum.
A note from Jo...
"My favourite aspect of this project was actually seeing it all come together and the process to get there – excavating the pool with it being so close to the existing house was quite nerve wracking!"
Lily pilly hedging lines the city boundary to provide privacy from land below.
Jade Plant (Crassula ovata) and Ice Plant (Delosperma) add colour to this raised entrance garden.
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