When garden designer Matthew Cantwell first saw the courtyard shown in our segment, it was ugly and dated. Quarry tiles, mission brown furniture and a dilapidated paling fence made it a depressing place where the family definitely did not want to spend any time. After a fabulous vacation on Skiathos in the Greek Islands, they asked Matthew to transform their backyard into a Greek style entertaining area, and recreate that special holiday feeling at home.

Courtyard features

Blue and white colours add a distinctive Greek touch and also extend the colour scheme used in the kitchen outside into the garden. The water feature is carved out of Sydney sandstone. It is based on the 'krunos', or community tap found in Greek towns where there is no fresh water. The seating area has comfortable, built-in benches. It is protected from the hot sun by a shade structure supporting a grapevine (Vitis vinifera). Plants such as olive trees (Olea europaea var. communis), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), bougainvillea and zonal geraniums (Pelargonium x hortorum) add colour and a real Mediterranean feel to the courtyard. The Greek theme continues into the garage, where a large mirror creates an illusion of much more space than is really there. Pots in the courtyard have been decorated to look like olive and grain jars. Lighting throughout the garden gives it a wonderful ambiance at night.

Contact information

The courtyard was designed by:
Matthew Cantwell
Secret Gardens of Sydney
PO Box 1231
Rozelle, NSW, 2039
Telephone/Fax: (02) 9365 6533 Mobile: 0418 976 387

Copyright CTC Productions 2001