A small courtyard in Glenelg, hemmed in by an old steel panel fence, for a couple after something simple, elegant, modern and low maintenance — with privacy right at the top of the list. Small didn't mean plain: the brief was for every element in the space to earn its place as a feature in its own right.
Working to a plan on a small footprint
Landscape designer Tony Stanton, of Living Pictures, drew up the hardscape and softscape plans to fit the budget before Hand Made Gardens built the space out. On a footprint this small, every decision had to work harder — there was no room for filler.
The features
The centrepiece is a metal fountain on a plinth, half hidden among pebbles in a small pond — a genuine focal point, and the sound of moving water does a lot of work in a space this size. A Murraya hedge runs along the fence line, backed by clipped Korean Box in front, both planted into 450mm rendered Hebel planter walls. Next to the fountain, a striking metal gate hangs between two tall rendered walls. A path of 400mm slate pavers, edged in granite setts, runs from the house to the gate, split by a strip of drought-tolerant Male Sterile Kikuyu lawn, with a Merbau storage seat opposite the fountain and garden lighting built in for evening use.
Project details
- Location: Glenelg
- Scope: courtyard makeover — metal fountain & pond, rendered Hebel planter walls, feature gate, slate & granite paving, garden lighting
- Related services: Garden Features, Paving, Garden Lighting
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