pool and surrounds
Joanne Green Landscape & Interior Save Email If you want a filler Nothing screams Australian native more than ornamental grasses, and with so many species and cultivars to choose from – within genera such as Dianella, Lomandra, Pennisetum, Poa and Themeda, just to name a few – these grasses are just the answer when you don’t know what to plant. Use them as fillers or even to mass plant out an entire bank. They create interesting texture, colour variation and movement within the garden. TIP: As a general rule of thumb, ornamental grasses should be cut back every one to two years, just before spring. This will allow for fresh growth and will keep them looking fresh.
If you want a tough shrub Westringia practically defines versatility. This Australian native has so many uses, be it tight topiary balls in a formal garden, loosely kept hedges in a more semi formal setting, or left completely to do its own thing in a salty, coastal garden. It is the jack of all trades in the plant world and can basically be used anywhere within your garden! Apart from its sticking silver/grey foliage, it produces a beautiful small flower throughout the year.
9. Mediterranean mix In this wine country retreat, a poolside planting heavy on silver foliage and lavender blooms makes a lovely pastel backdrop. Many of the plants chosen are drought-tolerant, such as the olive trees (Olea europaea), dusty miller (Senecio sp.) and thyme. When blooming, the French lavender (Lavandula stoechas) and thyme would also attract pollinators. All plants thrive in full sun.
This easy pairing of royal palms (Roystonea sp.) and asiatic jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum) in a garden in Miami looks lush and tropical but doesn’t require much maintenance. Palms are a classic poolside plant – instantly making a mild-climate garden feel tropical. The jasmine, also called dwarf jasmine, is a particularly useful poolside ground cover. It thrives in bright sunlight, benefits from the increased poolside humidity and can fill in as a dense ground cover in just two years. In spring, the plant is studded with pale yellow blossoms that will perfume the pool with a sweet fragrance.
Cactuses and succulents, suchas agave, yucca and echeveria, make excellent poolside plants. They look good year-round with hardly any care, produce practically no mess, thrive in sunny conditions and are generally pretty tough when it comes to getting splashed by a bit of chlorinated water. For the best effect, choose cactuses and succulents with interesting, sculptural forms like strappy, upright Mauritius hemp (Furcraea foetida) and finger-like blue chalk sticks (Senecio serpens). Planting them against a wall or near enough to the pool so that their forms are reflected in the water will enhance the design’s graphic quality.
Install an open-air shower Without doubt, the most effective way to prevent sand being tracked into the house is to provide a water source near the entry to your house. Having somewhere to rinse off outside will mitigate most, though not all, of the sand. A shower can be incorporated into the initial design of a house, or be set up to be a stylish but functional addition after the fact. The key to success is that you shouldn’t have to enter the house to get to it. Place it by the front door, down the side path or near the back gate.
5. Spotlights Everything positively gleams in the well-placed lighting of this sleek, modern garden. WHEN TO USE: Spotlights are a great way to highlight architectural features and landscaping, as well as garden planting. But spotlights really come into their own in possible danger areas, such as poolside or around a split-level patio or deck. Beyond their visual impact, a couple of well-placed spotlights can be a good security measure. WHAT TO CONSIDER: Once you’ve decided what you want to spotlight, and have taken the usual safety questions into account, it’s worth considering whether the situation calls for complementary lighting. When you’re throwing a lot of light in one spot, the areas around it can seem darker. One way to combat the effect is to install little downlights in the corners of the space. GET THE LOOK: Long rectangular gardens can be livened up with the clever use of planting and lighting. Break up a long stretch by spotlighting trees, or architectural features at regular intervals. Turn the spot on mature trees at the end of the garden to add a sense of perspective to the scene.
6. Clean the glass A sleek glass fence adds visual impact to your pool area, so make sure it’s spotless. Simply use warm water, liquid soap and a sponge to wash it down, then rinse the glass off with a quick hose-down. And to minimise mess, remind everyone to keep their sunscreen-smeared hands off the glass.
Is there anything more magical than a swim at night? Yes, there is. A swim at night when you have glow-in-the-dark tiles lighting up your pool. Glowing tiles can also mark where a shallow ledge ends – handy where children are in residence, or when you and your friends have had a few too many cocktails.
Contemporary Kitchen by Mixed Element Mixed Element Save Email Mid-century Modern When designing a Mid-Century modern kitchen, you are looking for small accents of Mid-century placed throughout a modern design. When designing in this style, I start by designing a modern cabinetry base with clean lines. Once the cabinetry design is completed, I step back and decide how best to bring a Mid-Century feel to my blank canvas through finishes such as veneer or tiles, and original or replica Mid-century accessories – or both. As Mid-century is so popular at the moment, it is easy to find modern design interpretations of the style from larger pieces such as furniture and lighting, to smaller touches such as kitchen accessories. The designer of this kitchen has used a lot of veneer cabinetry to capture a Mid-century Modern style, supported by the choice of gorgeous clear lights.
2. A bench seat. Showers are no longer just a place to get clean; they are following the wider bathroom trend and becoming spa-like oases we can’t wait to spend time in. This knockout shower is not only loveable for its mosaic-style tiling in that adorable blue, the bench seat makes it such an inviting space that taking a long shower is almost impossible to avoid.
8. Shade Shade is often a much sought-after aspect to a summer space. However, permanent structures are not only more expensive, they are also exactly that, permanent. They offer no flexibility with the changing weather, and if you are lucky enough to own a holiday home, a permanent shade structure will be an unwanted feature during your winter getaways. The beauty of a market umbrella over an alfresco table filled with summer goodness is an iconic image we all envy, and can be a very cost effective alternative, as well as transportable, let alone removable. Taking the humble market umbrella a little bit further, invest in a semi commercial cantilevered umbrella. They are perfect poolside or on an existing deck near the alfresco zone. Often overlooked and frowned upon, the good old umbrella is actually a great option for any holiday environment as it is flexible, movable, removable and more importantly, cost effective.
CORE Landscape Group Save Email In designs where more plantings are used, any thought of blandness from beige goes out the window. The tones in the colouring of the tall, creamy stone wall and the brighter ivory colouring of the large floating slabs over the water feature set a great skeleton upon which the formal planting can hang. Grey, the great companion of beige in the neutrality league, completes this calm and composed landscape.
The repeated plantings of soft rush (Juncus effusus) alongside this walkway and steps are brought to the fore because they’re set against beige concrete panels. The neutral colour provides a blank canvas to plant against – so much better than the browns of traditional fencing or the terra-cotta colour of brick walls. It is worth remembering that green is generally considered a neutral colour in garden design, so it is no wonder that it combines so well with beige.
This meticulously crafted concrete staircase provides the perfect neutral beige background for the simple planting in front. The texture and variation in the concrete walls add interest, while the glass balustrade has a subtle graduation of colour, as it covers some of the concrete while allowing light through to the stairway. It all creates an interesting feature, far from bland, without the use of bright colours or ornamentation.
. Add a bench A small bench or stool in an outdoor shower provides a spot for soap and shampoo and a place to rest if your body is worn out from surfing, swimming or sunbathing. Tropical Patio by GM Construction, Inc. GM Construction, Inc. Save Email 6. Provide an in-shower spot for a towel or two This can be as simple as a cheap plastic hook that hangs over the enclosure. Anyone who has ever had to streak indoors after being pranked knows this is an important detail.
Patio with a view. In this Queensland home, the pool is the focal point, so the patio works as a place to lounge, socialise and watch the youngsters splashing about. For sun protection, the beautifully designed roof was installed, making it possible to sit and enjoy the stunning view for hours on end.
imag_ne design + construction Save Email Cool off alfresco I’m not suggesting that your guests strip off and jump in the shower, but if you are lazing about privately, a quick splash under an outside shower is a great way to cool skin if you don’t have a pool. This little beauty is tucked in a corner and the run-off goes straight to the garden. COOL TIP: A common or garden hose with a spray head can be hooked up to make an impromptu shower.
Secret Gardens Save Email 9. Make structures safe… Steep stairs like these obviously need to be well lit for safety purposes at night. But you also need to use lighting to indicate any change of level in a garden, as well as to mark structures such as walls, pergolas, swimming pools and screens.
8. …and swimming pools Without lighting swimming pools become black holes at night. Turn them into dramatic night-time features with a mix of different lighting types as shown here in this contemporary minimalist garden in Melbourne. Water jets and other areas of moving water can also be added to inject more life and sparkle into swimming pools at night.
Plasterboard balustrades Plasterboard is about as inexpensive as you will find, as long as your design is simple and doesn’t deal with bends and twists. The balustrade in the remodelled Spruson Street house is recessive to the beautifully crafted traditional handrail. Handrails can be made up in sections or in pre-molded lengths.
ken powell architect Save Email Eliminate the need for a balustrade Consider other options outside the box including windows rather than balustrades. The Centennial Park House demonstrates that a wall of louvre windows will allow uninterrupted views and a contiguous facade without the need for a handrail or balustrade, as the distance between the louvres complies with building regulations.
outside shower
Save Email You don’t need acres of space to accommodate a swinging chair or hammock; especially if it’s the focal point of the garden. This tiny Korean courtyard manages to squeeze in not only this amazing swinging platform, but also a reflection pool and dining area. What more could you possibly need?
loor plan In contemporary landscape design, the ‘floor’ of a garden is just as interesting as the other areas. In this Perth garden, narrow strips of dark paving diagonally dissect another area of light-coloured pavers, adding a dynamic, vibrant feel to the space.
Block party A favourite device of contemporary landscape designers is to use large groups of one plant, as it allows their form and colour to be clearly displayed, and creates a more dramatic look. Mixing several different plants together has the opposite effect.
Contemporary Garden at a Glance You’ll love it if … the bold, clean lines of contemporary architectural design is your thing. You like planting that either complements or contrasts with the built elements of a garden. Difficulty ranking: Relatively easy as most contemporary gardens are designed with low-maintenance in mind, incorporating plants that suit the location and therefore need little TLC. Key plants: Architectural plants such as succulents, cycads and clipped hedging, as well as drought-tolerant and native species.
pool shower
If you want ground cover Natives often get labelled ‘boring’ – the Casuarina glauca ‘Cousin It’, however, kicks that unfair label to the curb. Known for its interesting mounding look, ability to grow in the most restrictive conditions, and its fantastic trailing habit, this plant is a must-have in any garden that requires low-lying planting, be it native or not. It can soften hard walls and can cover anything unsightly in your garden (such as pipes) in style! No matter where you plant it – in a pot, between rocks or on the ground to form a blanket of ground cover – this hardy plant will do well and is sure to catch the eye.
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