Instant Garden

Michael McCoy has created an amazing garden which has maximum impact in minimum time. A year ago the 0.1ha (0.2acre) backyard lawn was sprayed to kill it off and the whole area was planted out with herbaceous perennials. Within 12 months the garden has exploded with colour and texture dismissing the belief that it’s impossible to establish a garden in a year.

Design for gravel garden

The focus of the project was to experiment with textures and shapes rather than grouping colours. Contrasts of large flat shapes against vertical spiky plants and fine foliage against big leaves were used. One cameo was to group purple foliage plants together but otherwise there was no colour plan. The idea was to get the garden full enough when in flower so that any colour combination would work. The design also required minimum care and minimum watering.

Gravel is another element to the design. It is a creamy colour and has been spread through all the garden beds as well as along the paths. The gravel makes even the most simple grass or onion plants like the Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ and Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’ look special by highlighting their foliage, shape and texture. Bronze fennel against the pale gravel also stood out boldly.

Herbaceous perennials were chosen because of their fast growing qualities and the ability to fill out the garden in minimum time. Particularly perennials that flower in late summer were chosen in order to maximise the build up and minimise the dying off time through winter. Some of the plants included Eupatorium ‘Gateway’, Verbena bonariensis, Red orach (Atriplex hortensis var. Rubra) and Helianthemum ‘Rhodanthe Carneum’.

Further information

The garden was designed by Michael McCoy, garden designer, for more information phone: (03) 5427 1585 or 0411 514 982.