At Ian Barker Gardens, we strive to create beautiful, functional and timeless gardens and our Camberwell Oasis project ticks all of the boxes.
Our clients had an existing pool area and asked our design team to transform the garden into a user-friendly space while integrating a new entertaining area. We decided to offset the entertaining area and create a u-shaped paved area wrapped around a large lawn. The pathways provided clear access around the rear garden and travelled down each side of the home. There was existing sawn bluestone ashlar paving in the pool area, so for cohesion, we continued using the paving throughout the landscape.
The entertaining area features a recycled red-brick fireplace, a cantilevered sawn bluestone bench seat and a sawn bluestone BBQ bench. We also incorporated an open black steel pergola housing the area and planted Wisteria sinensis ‘Alba’, which will eventually cover the pergola, creating a lush feel. Next to the entertaining area is a whimsical forest garden featuring plants such as Sarcococca confusa, Eupatorium megalophyllum, Asplenium bulbiferum and Arthopodium cirratum. Canopying the garden bed is a stunning established Juglans regia tree that acts as an anchor point for the eye in the garden.
The planting palette for the garden is soft and unstructured. The brief was to create a soft, lush, green garden, and our client loved flowers, so it was essential to include elements of florals throughout the space. The garden is framed by Parthenocissus tricuspidata on the garage wall and back fence, an existing Ficus hedge in the pool area underplanted with Trachelospermum asiaticum and a Syzigum smithii hedge behind the entertaining area. Next to the pool is a sunken garden bed filled with mixed perennials, including Verbena bonariensis and Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foester’. Lagerstroemia ‘Lipan’ trees are also planted throughout the garden, providing beautiful colour in summer.
Our maintenance team is fortunate to spend every fortnight in this garden, ensuring it continues to thrive, and we couldn’t be more pleased with how this garden is developing and the lovely feel it has created.
