Photography: Marnie Hawson
With foliage spilling over retaining walls and wildflowers popping up between boulders, this garden in an East Melbourne suburb is clearly thriving. It’s a far cry from the barren construction site it was built on. “The site was heavy yellow clay that you could definitely make a set of dishes out of,” recalls landscape designer Lori McNutt of McNuttnDorff Landscapes. “There were a lot of issues – the block’s quite steep and there was no drainage.”
It was a challenge, but Lori was excited to create a sustainable garden to match the energy-efficient Passivhaus in construction. She completed the design in stages, working with builders MVH Constructions as they excavated the site. This collaborative process helped instil a sense of untamed beauty. Says Lori, “That created the layers in the garden and it just evolved from there.”
Homeowners Caroline and Nick, who have two young children, were keen to create a counterpoint to the formal hedges and cottage gardens typically seen in the suburb. Championing the surrounding environment was also important. “The house is very green in its footprint and uses local materials where possible, so we wanted to embrace the modern… and stay on the theme of Australian timbers and aesthetics in the garden,” Caroline explains.
As busy professionals and parents, a low-maintenance design was essential. Lori opted for an organic tapestry of hardy, mostly native plants that don’t need regular watering, and locally sourced bluestone
and granite to create areas for sitting and exploring. The result is reminiscent of a wild and winding bushwalking track.
The design works in harmony with the home. This is at once cohesive and also functional. Since light is critical to the Passivhaus design, Lori was careful to ensure the garden’s trees add shape and structure without interfering with the home’s thermal properties.
“The house is quite tall so we really needed to plant some tall trees that wouldn’t impact the house but provide a bit of shade for upstairs,” Lori explains. “They’re dwarf lemon-scented gums, so they stay nice
and narrow, but will shelter the western sun off the bedroom upstairs.”
Thanks to Lori’s work enriching the soil with compost and gypsum, the garden has flourished, so much so that the plants are now selfpropagating. It’s also a magnet for birds such as pardalotes and magpies, creating a symphony of sounds that can be enjoyed by all.
The garden has truly become a calming contrast to the busy city streets, while the native plants complement the natural beauty. “We love that it’s a little bit wild and rambling and that you get seasonal wildflowers,” Caroline says. “Our boys like to sit on the stone that’s a bit of a garden seat in the front yard and watch the first stars emerge and a few possums run around. You’re in a private native oasis there.”
“There’s always a spot for plants you love. You don’t have to be too strict” Lori McNutt, landscape designer
Source book
Landscape design and construction McNuttnDorff
Landscapes, mcnuttndorff.com.au
Architecture Maxa Design, maxadesign.com.au
Builder MVH Constructions, mvhconstructions.com
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