PRESTON

A family of six wants a garden with a large lawn and spaces for play, a veggie garden and a native plant palette to encourage wildlife in to the garden. They prefer natural, rustic and recycled materials. They are also looking to the future; a renovation may one day take place and they need a garden that can adapt.

A garden layout of organic shapes and flexible spaces satisfies the brief for an easy-going garden that can accommodate change. Organic materials and those that patina naturally - Castlemaine slate, gravel, feature rocks, recycled timber, copper, steel - ground the materials palette. Fixtures that will be expensive to change are avoided and there is no rigid paving. Features can be moved or repurposed.  

Soil improvement measures and informed plant choices see the mostly native plant palette thriving. Lorikeets and other birds visit to feed. Lizards sunbathe on the rocks. The owners embrace the garden adding rustic furniture. The Nature Conservancy commissions a mural celebrating our native fauna. 

“The garden Penny designed for our family brings us hours of joy every day, in every season.  Whether it is the view of a flowering gum from the kitchen window, the laughter of children in the upcycled cubby, or a cocktail for the grown-ups on the deck of the studio, there's something to enjoy.  We are excited to see what the garden becomes as the trees (and our children) grow. Penny nailed our brief, was a delight to work with and we strongly recommend her to anyone wanting an outside space to warm their faces and their hearts.”