Burke’s Backyard visited an example of colourful inner city living in a series of individual townhouses in Sydney with an innovative landscape. The townhouses incorporate a pedestrian street with a communal garden along the street. Car parking is underground, beneath the pedestrian street, so there is a real community feel to the townhouses.
Design aspects
Colour – The bright ochre colours used on the walls and in the paving give interest to an otherwise dull and drab area. The reds, yellows and oranges also add warmth to the pedestrian street.
Softening – The angular walls on the buildings needed softening to provide a friendly, pleasurable place to live and soften the harsh environment. The curved sandstone walls around the Kentia Palms and the soft, small leafed plantings in the garden soften the harsh lines of the buildings.
Low maintenance – Another important aspect of inner city living is the fast pace of people’s lives, so a low maintenance garden is essential. Murray Cox, the landscape designer, says the secret to a low maintenance garden is using slow growing plants, such as Kentia Palms.
Rustic effect – The pathway and steps are made from sandstone blocks and ochre coloured concrete pavers that require no mortar. This creates a rustic effect and ties the colours of the walls of the townhouses in with the garden.
Ornamental & edible plants – There is a combination of ornamental soft plantings and edible plants, like herbs, chillies and vegetables. The garden is a combination of a landscape and a kitchen garden to be used by the residents of the townhouses.
Plants
Kentia Palms (Howea forsteriana) – These palms are slow growing and have a soft, curved structure as the overstorey plants.
Japanese Sacred Bamboo (Nandina domestica) – This is not a true bamboo but is slow growing and has red ornamental berries in winter with bright green new growth in spring.
Dragon Tree (Dracaena draco) – Planted in pots these are used as understorey plants around the sandstone walls.
Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa) – these smaller palms are used as understorey plants
Gardenias – Two varieties are planted as understorey plants. Gardenia augusta ‘Florida’ is planted on the sunnier side of the garden and Gardenia augusta ‘Magnifica’ is planted in the shadier areas.
Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon japonicus) – Mondo grass fills the gaps in the garden, supplying a softening effect as a ground cover.
Further information
These townhouses called ‘Cricklewood’ are situated in Annandale, Sydney. There are still two townhouses with two bedrooms available for sale for approximately $360,000. For more information contact Jonathan Wilson on (02) 9233 6888.
The garden was designed by Murray Cox of Murray Cox & Associates, Landscape Consultants, Design and Construction, 14 Pleasant Avenue, Erskinville, NSW, 2043. For more information phone: (02) 9519 9143.