Courtyard

The owners of a newly renovated Melbourne house called in landscape designer Jim Fogarty to transform their garden into a modern, contemporary courtyard. This posed a few problems, because the area was only about 6x6m (20x20'), the side fences were falling down and it looked more like a rubbish tip than a backyard. A focal point was required to add interest and draw attention away from the small size of the courtyard. The doors to the house fold right back and the yard becomes part of the living area, so it was important to create some kind of link between the interior and exterior design. Also the colours used in the courtyard needed to complement the interior house colours.

Design solution

A water feature made from a piece of African black/silver slate provides a focal point in the courtyard. Because of the way the slate is mounted and sealed, water runs away quickly preventing the growth of slime. The exterior walls are Harditex sheet, and the retaining walls are double brick. Both have been rendered and then painted with Dulux 'Tuscan Sand', which is similar to the wall colour of the room which opens out onto the courtyard. The paving, 500mm Flagstone in a "Portsea" colour, was deliberately allowed to get a little bit dirty during the construction and then hosed off with a high pressure cleaner, to give it a slightly weathered look.

The Plants

Jim decided to choose plants mainly for their black and green foliage colours. Yuccas (Yucca filamentosa) on each side of the fountain are underplanted with ajuga (Ajuga reptans). The beautiful Western Australian weeping myrtle (Agonis flexuosa 'After Dark') is featured in the design, as well as acanthus (Acanthus mollis), statice (Limonium perezii), and a jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia).

Further information

Jim Fogarty, landscape designer. Phone: 0419 571 856.
500x500mm Flagstone drypressed paving costs approximately $45 per square metre.

Copyright CTC Productions 1999