Outdoor Design Issue #43 2022

For two years, the world-renowned Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show went into a pandemic-induced hiatus. This year, thankfully, Melbourne’s Carlton Gardens and Royal Exhibition Building were once again buzzing with visitors, eager to see what local garden designers, floral artists, outdoor product purveyors and plant nurseries had to offer. As in years’ past, the 2022 show gardens were the highlight. But also of interest were the boutique gardens, which displayed some innovative ideas for making the most of small outdoor spaces. We showcase some of the most intriguing and thought-provoking display gardens from this year’s show, all of which provide inspiration aplenty. Another way to garner ideas about garden layout, materials, plants and more is to seek out the work of award-winning landscape designers, landscape architects and landscapers, and in…

Australia is home to a vast array of talented, highly skilled landscape architects and landscape designers who can create a unique garden that will be individually tailored to the way you want to live When landscape architect John Storch, the director of A Total Concept, received a call from the owners of this Sydney home — a couple with whom he had worked on two previous projects — he was thrilled. They wanted his help to develop their recently acquired property and John was immediately on board. “Each property we’ve designed for these clients has been different because each had very different requirements,” says John. “The first, a semi-detached home, was designed to cater for the needs of a young family. The second, a large, highly detailed suburban home on acreage was…

For two years, the world-renowned Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show went into a pandemic-induced hiatus. This year, thankfully, Melbourne’s Carlton Gardens and Royal Exhibition Building were once again buzzing with visitors, eager to see what local garden designers, floral artists, outdoor product purveyors and plant nurseries had to offer. As in years’ past, the 2022 show gardens were the highlight. But also of interest were the boutique gardens, which displayed some innovative ideas for making the most of small outdoor spaces. We showcase some of the most intriguing and thought-provoking display gardens from this year’s show, all of which provide inspiration aplenty. Another way to garner ideas about garden layout, materials, plants and more is to seek out the work of award-winning landscape designers, landscape architects and landscapers, and…

What drew you to landscape design? My grandfather was a creative inventor and gardener. When I was a child, he was forever talking to me and showing me his ideas and designs, and pointing out shapes, details and plants and how these went together in the world. He taught me how to be creative and to observe, feel and understand good and bad design, both in the natural and built environments. When he passed, his ideas, sketching notes and images became mine and he instilled in me a lifelong habit of collecting ideas and details, sketching and a love of plants. These ideas form the basis of the concept images library that we use when designing a garden. It was my grandfather who encouraged me to become a landscape architect.…

More than 100 years ago, this property was home to a backyard auto-repair shop. Rather than erase the traces of this long-abandoned commercial operation, the decision was made to weave some elements into the new design. “The goal was to create a space that complemented the history of the property while providing an inviting space in which to relax, entertain and enjoy being outside. As things stood, the family had no reason to go into the yard,” says Rob Waddell, director, Waddell Landscape Design & Construction. “The style of the garden is relaxed and rustic, with the newly built, rough-sawn cypress pergola sitting in perfect harmony with the reinvented old shed and existing red brick wall. We used the shed as an anchor point in the design, removing some of the walls…

How did you get interested in design? After finishing an apprenticeship, studying horticulture and starting my own landscape construction company, expanding into design just felt like a natural progression. It allowed me to develop the company and offer both a design and construction service. There has always been a desire for growth within the company and I saw the design and construction model as being a way to ensure we could grow on our own terms. What is your design approach? I believe landscapes should be both beautiful and functional. It’s as simple as that! Tick those two boxes and you can’t miss. The key is getting to know our clients’ lifestyle needs. We can make the garden flow and look great but we need to ensure it’s functional for how…