Recent Jobs
New Home - 8th June 2011
New Home - “Kingfisher Estate” Bentley Park.
This lovely Liam Gilligan home backs onto a creek so the owners chose a rear pool style fence and wanted mainly shrubs planted along the fence line to retain the natural views. The land at the rear slopes to the fence line where I raised the garden beds with timber sleepers so I created a mini rock garden in the centre for drainage. The 2nd photo I planted 2 Calatheas and a Cordyline to screen the water tank and air conditioning unit and that area is now a thriving herb and vege garden.
Decorative Paving - 26th February 2011
Different ideas for decorative paving around your home.
Photos taken from various clients.
Mini Makeover - 26th February 2011
1 images, click above.
This garden bed was once full of weeds with a dead Palm stump in the middle. Being the entry to the house it had a lot of potential and the owners wanted something low maintenance.
I chose feature plants such as a Cycad, var. Yukka, “Black Knight” Draceana and a “Pink tip” Cordyline for colour. The border is a var. Mondo grass and I re used the “Mad as a Hatter” to cover the Palm stump.
The small Garden Wall pavers and rock just gave it a nice finish.
Landscaping Makeover - 27th September 2010
Front Yard Landscaping Makeover, Mount Sheridan.
The owners of this property wanted to leave just a small area of grass at the rear of their house.
They wanted me to create pathways (without stones)around garden beds and incorporating a “dry creek” river bed along their fence line. I chose the Bassalt Rocks for their large size, roundness and natural finish and the Deco (decomposed granite) added colour to the pathways and once compacted leaves a hard surface that is more comfortable to walk on than stone. The first photo is an area where the owners want to put a bench seat to relax and view their gardens from.
The plants are a mix of Tropicals and bird attracting Natives.
*Photos go in order from after to before.
Last 2 photo’s Jan. 2011
"Atrium" - 21st June 2010
Atrium area of a new home at Forest Gardens.
This approx. 4 x 4m area is visual from 3 rooms inside the house and also from their rear patio area. The owners wanted a Water Feature in the centre that was visually appealing from all sides.
I planted tall plants in the four corners (Syzygium cascade & Calathea’s) and low plants in front of all the windows and also from the patio area so as not to block the view of the Water Feature.
I installed manual irrigation and 3 low voltage lights.
*X/Large Zen Pot supplied by Cairns Garden Art.
Landscaping Makeover - 27th May 2010
Rear Patio Makeover, Forest Gardens.
This was previously a ‘tired’ garden planted with 5 or 6 native trees that were too tall for the narrow area. Thus all you could see from the patio were the tree trunks and also the gutters were filled with dead leaves.
We chose a low Water Feature which suited the narrow width (1.8m) and Landscaped around it. The owner wanted a Tropical theme with lots of colour. I planted 3 Bamboo Palms at the rear with their height just above the fence line for the privacy and added a mix of Cordylines and var. Stromanthes for the colour.
I used 50mm Cream Riverstone and also painted the fence a blue/grey to enhance the colour of the plants and installed manual irrigation and low voltage garden lights.
*Lotus Water Feature supplied and installed by Cairns Garden Art.
My Garden - 8th February 2010
Evodiella muelleri “Little Evodia” in full bloom!
1.This would have to be one of my favourite small trees well suited for small gardens.
This hardy evergreen shrub (small tree)produces a spectacular display of lolly-pink flowers which are borne along the branches for many weeks in summer.
The flowers are followed by large, pale green aromatic seed pods containing small black seeds, which I must admit can be quite messey when they all fall off! The dark green shiny foliage is also strongly scented with a hint of nutmeg.
Will flower in almost full shade but prefers open sunny positions in well drained soils. Water well during dry periods.
Bird and Butterfly attracting including Rainbow Lorikeets. Height 3-5m Width 2-3m
Photo 3. ‘Friends’ of Pollock Close, Green Frog
Photo 4. White Cockatoo
Photo 5. Pink Torch Ginger
New Home - 8th January 2010
New Home at Smithfield Village.
I really enjoyed Landscaping this new home. The architectural design of the front of the house was just asking for architectural stlyle plants!
The owners wanted low maintenance, all green, no flowers and with splashes of colour (which really suited the style of house)
I chose Draceana’s, Yukkas, Cycads, Beaucarnea recurvata “Pony Tail Palm” as a feature at the front and used Cordylines for the splashes of colour.
The 3 Dypsis leptocheilos “Red Neck Palms” broke up the large lawn area at the front of the house but will also in time help to screen the pool area.
All Turf and Garden Beds are fully Irrigated.
Decorative Paving - 9th October 2009
Decorative Paving, Forest Gardens.
The owner wanted an extension to their existing patio area. She designed the unusual shape and I made sure the width of the grass area was even at each end,
which I think balanced it.
We matched the colour and size of the pavers as close as possible to the existing tiles on the patio. I layed the pavers approx. 15mm below the tiles and incorporated the existing storm water pit into the paved area to help keep any heavy rainfall off the tiles.
