Pond Courtyard
A water feature in the garden can be a focal point. Whether it’s something fun like a simple pond with frogs spurting water out of their mouths or whether it’s more formal in the form of a wall fountain spouting into a sandstone edged pond filled with irises and water lilies, it will add a lot of interest to a courtyard or paved backyard.
Design
John Happ’s design for Mirvac Homes at Homeworld combines several good design ideas to create a practical outdoor entertaining area. The small backyard would not support a lawn easily because of the wear from children and the lack of sun so the best solution was to pave it with reconstituted sandstone blocks. This provides a functional area where kids could ride the bicycles as well as an area for outdoor eating and entertaining if you set up a table and chairs with an umbrella to provide shade from the sun. Another alternative would be to extend the pergola out into the courtyard and cover it with clear plastic or fibre glass facing the fountain. This would provide an area in which to sit, protected from the rain but without reducing the light filtering into the house. The lattice walls are softened with Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum) climbing all over it providing greenery and a sweet perfume when in flower.
Another feature of the design include formal urns potted with ornamental lantana. The plants are tough enough to survive in an urn but they are also irrigated to ensure that they won’t dry out and die. The irrigation pipe comes around the back and up through the middle of the urn through the drain hole.
Further information
Our segment was filmed at Mirvac Homes, Homeworld, Kellyville. The fountain courtyard at Homeworld was designed by John Happ, 3RD Dimension Designs, Phone/Fax: (02) 9744 2658.
