Don looked at a contemporary, Japanese-style garden at Noosa, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. Local landscape designers Anne-Marie and Dror Barkai designed the garden to add interest to a stark, white, modular building. Their solution to a difficult design problem is very simple, yet it works.

Design features

A stunning row of red and black cordylines (Cordyline terminalis 'Nigra' also known as C. fruticosa 'Nigra') resemble explosions of fire in the garden. These cordylines are frost tender and grow best in the warmer areas of Australia. Water cascades from a black urn onto black and white pebbles, then disappears underground. It reappears as a pond, which visitors cross to approach the front entrance of the house. The pond is bordered by mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus). A large pony tail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata) is planted in the centre of a handmade terracotta pot, with succulents spilling from the side. Facing the terracotta pot are two bronze sculptures of cranes, set on a white pebble base.

Further information

The landscape design was by:
Rock'N'Root Art Landscapes
640 Cootharaba Road
Cootharaba Qld 4565
Phone: (07) 5485 3855
Mobile: 0414 664 613

Copyright CTC Productions 2002