Melbourne Apartment Gardens
Courtyards adjoining tall buildings can be very difficult to landscape. There are often wind tunnels between the buildings; some areas bake in fierce reflected heat from the hard surfaces, while other areas are in full shade. Don looked at the gardens surrounding an older style apartment block in Melbourne which has recently been renovated. Although the landscapers were faced with considerable design problems, they managed to come up with an attractive, cutting edge solution.
Client brief
The owners of the apartment building decided to spend extra time and money on the landscaping. They hoped that creating something up-market and unusual would give them an edge over their competitors. They asked the landscapers to stay away from stereotypical planting, while giving the courtyards a modern feel.
Design features
A pond separates two areas, giving occupants a feeling of personal space without completely segregating the areas. The water is coloured a deep blue to aid reflection and create a feeling of tranquillity. Paving colours and textures were chosen to complement the colour scheme of each individual apartment. Black gravel is used to highlight green foliage, while white river stones feature in another area. Art pieces include a stingray fountain designed by Rudi Jass. Plants provide boundaries between spaces and a strong vertical element to minimise the overbearing height of the buildings. They include great liriope (Liriope gigantea), variegated acorus (Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’), Lobelia cardinalis, aspidistra (Aspidistra elatior), black mondo (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’), bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae), iris, Bangalow palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana), bamboo, rush (Restio tetraphyllus) and aloe (Aloe x spinosissima).
Contact information
Australian Quality Landscaping
40B Wantirna Road
Ringwood, VIC, 3134
Phone: (03) 9870 2286
Fax: (03) 9870 0123
Rudi Jass can be contacted on (03) 9728 3146 or visit his website: www.jassdesign.com.au