The house, on a lower level, can be faced from the main downstairs rooms with a blank wall, with the main area of the garden. Sally extended the narrow paved areas next to the house outwards so that it became wide enough to use as a sitting and eating area.
The paving and retaining, wall was extended in a series of curves, with brick steps echoing this shape up to the top section. 'File wall was used as a backdrop fir a nosing water feature to break up the length of the wall and create sound and visual interest on the patio.
Trellis fixed along the boundary fences was stained green (so that it would blend into the background) as was a decoratively designed garden shed at the end of the garden that looks more like a gazebo
The major task was to open up the terrace close to the house and to replace the 1 m/39 in retaining wall with a new one that followed a series of decorative curves.
The lower terrace and most of the garden above this were paved in a range of slabs of different sizes with gravel between. Reclaimed honey-colored bricks were used for the wall and steps.
To create an attractive view from the house, and break up the retaining wall, pots were fixed to the surface around the Wall. A .fountain was placed on the wall with a stone water-garden trough below it. Three beautiful giant lizards were commissioned, two to act as spouts for the fountain and a third for the top of the wall
A modern theme of structural plants, which provide year-round interest, is used with a range of palms, black-stemmed bamboo, cardoon and New Zealand flax. These blend with verdant climbers to cover the walls, fences and trellis. In frost-prone areas alternative species of these plants may lie better suited to winter outside
Other features were introduced unto the garden to provide fountains. A second fountain tumbles into a shallow stream that meanders way across to the terrace, and a ,,tone bench on the opposite side of roe garden provides a good view
Container evergreens may not be very colorful but they provide interest around the year. The bay tree, Laurus nobles not only has aromatic leaves but can be clipped into interesting topiary shapes. In an exposed spot or in a frost-prone • area it is best taken indoors for the colder months. Grown close to the house, its leaves can easily be picked for use.
