The success of this Parsley Bay project lies in the landscape designer’s involvement from conception. Pepo Botanic Design worked collaboratively with the clients, Architects and Builders throughout the project. The clients had a clear brief – they wanted a garden that was both reminiscent of surrounding bush and of a country garden where everything blended in together as friends gave you cuttings from their gardens.

Their desire was to have outdoor spaces that were full of life including plants you can eat, chickens to lay eggs and sculpture that looked like it was growing. They wanted this garden to be an integral part of their lifestyle and home.

Pepo’s design team chose a lush and full planting palette. The entrance to the property consists of multiple layers of Australian native plants to provide both screening and create the feeling of walking through Sydney’s coastal bushland. This leads to the entrance court where subtropical plantings connect with a feature pond filled with a variety of aquatic plants. Flower colour and foliage contrast were always considered, as was hardiness as many games of basketball are played in the entrance courtyard. The back garden connects to a park and has a subtropical micro climate. For continuity, some of the plantings were repeated from the entrance courtyard while the main bed is an eclectic mix of bold colour and shape.

With a great love of cooking, the clients were clear from the start that they needed to have a selection of edible plants and there was a strong possibility there would be chooks! The balcony adjacent to the kitchen was transformed into their own kitchen garden. Planted with a rich array of herbs and vegetables, the large planters nestled between the outdoor lounges add a functional and visually interesting focal point. After a trial run from Rent a Chook, the clients decided the chooks were here to stay. They are helping reduce household waste by being fed food scraps and dig around in the lower garden providing at least one egg a day sometimes more!

When Pepo was asked to provide some original concepts for a pergola, the front fence and sculptural elements for the garden, we proposed all three were connected.

The feature, hand crafted pergola at the entrance court was designed by one of Sydney’s finest Blacksmiths, Francesco Petrolo. His passion and talent was so evident in the creation of the Grape Vine Pergola, we proposed he work on the panels along the fence of the front garden. This work has given the garden a truly unique feeling. The beauty of the work is in its seamless integration with the garden and its timeless, unique form.

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