Malvern Front Garden. Designed by Jim Fogarty, Melbourne Australia

This client wanted to upgrade their front garden but importantly wanted to retain the heritage value of their Victorian home. A new driveway was required as well as a second off street car park, and this was possible as they had a second cross over.
Driveways take up over-proportionate areas in small front gardens. To resolve this, the driveway was designed to become part of the garden. Incorporating a variety of materials and material texture brought the drive to life and gave a contemporary twist to a heritage look. A mix of sawn bluestone, exposed aggregate and granite cobbles were used to create a visual textural palette. The same design was applied to the second car park, and by doing so it also looks part of the garden and not just a space for a car.
A smart decision was made by the client to dig a 20,000 litre concrete water tank into the front garden. The lid of the tank was carefully incorporated into the design so that it was located under the central feature urn.
The clients wanted to install a new period Victorian Iron fence, which is a great legacy to leave when restoring period homes and gardens. A period fence like this adds significantly to the value of your property.
A black urn is the main feature in this garden but it also serves as a folly to hide the water tank lid, which is hidden underneath the pedestal. Here we planted Echeveria imbricata as it grows happily without the need for irrigation.
To create a heritage feel, some formality of planting was created by using three Crab Apple trees to define three of the four quadrants in the garden. Topiary Box balls define the corners, helping to create planted structure to the garden layout. Within the beds a mix of informal plantings are used to provide colour, with the colour palette being kept to white, pink, blue, and indigo.
The garden was completed in July 2008. Constructed by Paul Pritchard Landscapes.