Imagine walking into your bathroom and instantly being transported to Bali! That’s what happened to actress Arkie Whiteley after a tiny courtyard 3.1m x 1.9m (10.2′ x 2.6′) adjoining her bathroom was madeover. When we first saw the walled garden it was unattractive, difficult to care for and not up to the standard of the rest of the house. So we asked landscape designer Michael White, who is based in Bali and now known as Made Wijaya, to come up with a new design. Made chose an Asian-inspired tropical theme for the courtyard.
All the old plants were removed from the courtyard and the area was cleaned up. The walls were painted. Made selected an orange/pink shade (a mixture of 50/50 Murowash Pomegranate and Bordeaux), but the colour didn’t turn out exactly as he’d hoped, so before the Murowash was fully dry Megatreat Liquid Terracotta was sponged over the top then dabbed with a dry cloth to give an interesting textured finish and a better, dappled colour. Arkie wanted a modular, changeable garden, so Made put in a wooden base of treated pine and left all the plants in pots. Treated railway sleepers were laid and treated pine planks screwed to them.
(Note: this system gave Arkie exactly what she wanted, but we wouldn’t recommend it because plants grow better in the ground than in pots. If you wish to use this design we recommend avoiding the decking and planting straight into the ground.) A drainage line was installed under the sleepers. An irrigation system was also put in with sprinklers at each corner. Concrete slabs were laid to form a pretend path leading through the garden towards a mirror-backed wall medallion. This creates the illusion of depth, as if the path leads to another courtyard beyond. A Balinese lantern was positioned on a Hebel block and wired for 12-volt outdoor lighting. Plants used in the design included bamboo, calatheas, cordylines, palms and ferns.
Pots were from Decorator Terracotta, Mona Vale, NSW. Phone: (02) 9450 1944. Murowash costs $104.90 for four litres. Murobond paint is available Australia wide. For your closest outlet contact Murobond Coatings, phone (02) 9906 7299. Megatreat Liquid Terracotta is available at hardware stores. Expect to pay about $65 for four litres. The wall medallion and lantern are from Bali. There are many shops now specialising in Balinese-style design; they’re a good source of statues, wall medallions and other items.
Tropical Garden Design by Made Wijaya, 1999. Published by Thames & Hudson. Cost: $79.95. (ISBN 0500019703).
The courtyard was designed by Made Wijaya, with construction by Don Burke and Colin Brown. Colin Brown can be contacted at Garden Design, NSW, phone (02) 9417 5820.
Don’t miss Don Burke’s article on this makeover in the December 1999 edition of the Burke’s Backyard Magazine.