Low maintenance garden Australia & NO lawn! Behind the Garden Gate - Garden Ideas | Garden Design

Welcome to Alfington, a leafy north eastern suburb in the city of Melbourne. I'm here today to check out a garden that was built back in 2018. It was designed with a family in mind and it envelops this newly renovated home. I'm Chloe from Been There, Dug That. Let's go behind the garden gate. The owners asked garden designer Nadia Cole from Platylobium for a garden that was filled predominantly with Australian native plants and they've achieved that beautifully. Now being a corner block and close to parklands, the owners find that neighbours and passers-by often stop for a chat. So I love the fact that they've used a slat fencing with quite big gaps, which means that it feels open to the neighbourhood. And you'll often find the neighbours stopping for a quick chat as they walk the dog. Before, there wasn't much of a garden. A few established trees and lots of undulating and uninviting lawn. So for the garden designers, it was a relatively blank canvas. This is a south-facing front yard, so of course it can be quite shady. There's a little bit of eastern morning sun over there where you can see the citrus trees. But this area right at the front door, the owners found quite tricky. But they're loving the fact that the plectranthus is thriving. You'll also notice as you come in the front gate that there's a lot of level changes happening. This is the only part of the garden where there is actual natural slope. The backyard is very flat. So I love how the designers have actually played on the slope and invited you up to the front door using decking steps all the way up. Now this garden goes 360 right round the property. So let's find out where this footpath takes us. It's a narrow utilitarian spot back here. We've got the clothesline and a water tank. But I do love the fact that they've incorporated some greenery with these jasmines in the corten steel planters. Stepping out of that narrow side garden and into the backyard, we've got a few compost bins and a little shed hidden over here. But let's go and check out the rest of the backyard. I love this backyard space. You feel really closeted and enveloped by the garden. Originally, this space was completely flat. But when they were renovating the house, they were able to unearth a number of these big, beautiful stones. And the garden designer and the landscape construction team worked together to incorporate them into the garden. And they're used really well for defined spaces and to create level changes as well. To further make this area low maintenance, they've used a lot of ground covers. And they're fabulous for softening spaces and softening the rocks. But of course, they're also brilliant at weed suppression. I can spot scaevola, saltbush, erimophilas and myoporum just in this space alone. I love this deck and outdoor entertaining space. It's flanked beautifully by this silver princess. And it really creates a space that you just want to sit down and chill. The owner told me this is one of her favorite spots to sit. And I can see why with a view like that. I might just sit down and make myself at home, I think. Now this courtyard faces full north. So of course, in the summer months, you're going to need a bit of protection from the hot afternoon sun. And that's where the pergola comes in. But also the silver princess arches up and gives you a little bit of shade. As well as these clever grapevines in the big pots that have been trained to grow up a chain and over the pergola. And of course, during the cooler months, they'll let the sunlight in. It's just magic here. When the garden was originally designed, this is where the kids trampoline was. But they're all growing up now and they don't use it anymore. So veggie gardens it is. Now these beds were actually originally in the front yard over near the citrus trees where they got a bit of morning sun. But of course, back here, they get full northern sunshine. And as you can see, the veggies love it. At this time of the year in early autumn, you can see there's not many flowers in the garden. But I think what's clever about the plant choice is that there's a lot of texture and different foliage colours. And they actually work really nicely in with the house and of course, the painted fences. These mature olive trees were added to give a bit of privacy from the street to the kitchen window. And of course, their lovely silvery leaves tie in with the dark house and the dark fence. They work really well in this narrow space. I'm coming back around to the front garden now. This space in here was actually the original front door of the home before it was renovated. And I love the way the owners have given a nod to that by adding some beautiful, large, established tree ferns into this space. It's not the front door anymore, but you can still appreciate these beautiful tree ferns from inside the house. And it looks gorgeous. All that remains of the original garden is these big, beautiful gums. But of course, before it was a blank space with not much going on. Instead, now it is a modern Aussie garden designed with a busy family in mind. And it works really, really nicely in with this now modern Aussie home as well. It's hard to believe we're a stone's throw from the city.