Garden Tour: A Sunken Urban Garden With a Contemporary Seating Area
Designed for a busy urban couple, this sunken city garden offers an oasis of calm and tranquillity in a busy metropolis
Victoria Harrison
27 May 2016
Editor, Houzz UK and Ireland
Imagine returning home to this oasis of peace and tranquillity after a busy day at work in the city. That was the brief that inspired Australian garden designer Charlie Albone to create this beautifully tranquil show garden for the Chelsea Flower Show 2016. Featuring a sunken garden, a soothing water rill and a sheltered seating area, this is a garden that has serenity at its heart.
Garden at a Glance
Show RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2016
Garden designer Charlie Albone
Built by Conway Landscaping
Sponsored by Husqvarna
Prize awarded Silver Gilt Medal
Show RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2016
Garden designer Charlie Albone
Built by Conway Landscaping
Sponsored by Husqvarna
Prize awarded Silver Gilt Medal
Australian garden designer Charlie Albone created this show garden for a an imagined client, who he describes as “a busy corporate couple in inner city Melbourne, Australia”. As such the garden has been created to offer a soothing retreat from urban life.
Symmetrical planting and structured box hedging provide a neat structure, while pockets of wild planting within create colour, texture and movement.
Symmetrical planting and structured box hedging provide a neat structure, while pockets of wild planting within create colour, texture and movement.
The sunken lawn was designed as a “protective” space, offering a tranquil place to lie out in the sun whilst surrounded by “interesting perennials and exotics”. It’s accessed via a set of steps at each end, hedged with immaculately clipped Buxus hedging.
A copper water rill runs down the side of the steps and around the lawn providing visual interest, gentle movement and the soothing sound of running water.
A copper water rill runs down the side of the steps and around the lawn providing visual interest, gentle movement and the soothing sound of running water.
A refined colour palette of rich green, deep blues and soothing whites ensure the garden feels serene. Here Salvia superba Caradonna, Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ and Lupinus ‘Masterpiece’ offer a shot of rich purple colour against a silvery green backdrop.
Inspired by the need for more green space in an urban environment Albone wanted to create a garden that harnessed the “healing effect and solace found whilst being in a garden.”
A floating cantilevered architectural structure at the back of the space creates a sheltered spot for relaxation and the structure itself gives a nod to the iconic Australian buildings of his garden’s homeland.
A floating cantilevered architectural structure at the back of the space creates a sheltered spot for relaxation and the structure itself gives a nod to the iconic Australian buildings of his garden’s homeland.
Behind the outdoor sofa, a bronze and copper wildlife sculpture by an Australian designer reflects the garden’s heritage and was commissioned to “epitomise the freedom the garden gives to the couple that use it.”
“A beautiful garden is the perfect support system,” says Albone, “providing an escape from life’s stresses and encouraging positive thinking.”
Wildlife sculpture, Willy Wildlife
“A beautiful garden is the perfect support system,” says Albone, “providing an escape from life’s stresses and encouraging positive thinking.”
Wildlife sculpture, Willy Wildlife
A bluestone cobbled path provides texture and interest and was included to give another nod to the Australian heritage of the garden.
The planting is a mix of European trees and perennials mixed with exotics such as Leucadendron, Acacia, Protea and Banksia to show the variety that can be grown in Melbourne. The tall spikes of Digitalis purpurea, shown here, provide height and a soft wash of colour.
Curved fronds of Eremurus robustus peppered throughout the borders bring life and character to the formal hedging as they nod and sway in the breeze.
Sixteen Carpinus ‘floating cube’ trees line the garden creating a shady canopy for the planting below. Each cube of neatly clipped foliage measures a pleasingly precise 1.2m x 1.2m x 1.2m.
A central island of peony ‘Elsa Sass’ subsp. ‘Mothers Choice’ at the top of the steps creates a beautiful oasis of colour and scent. Placed centrally in the path they encourage visitors to take a meandering route from the seating area to the lawn, allowing more of the garden to be admired along the way.
Benefiting from the dappled shade of the tree canopy above, the seating area offers a cool and tranquil spot to rest and relax.
TELL US…
What do you think of this tranquil garden? Do let us know in the comments below
TELL US…
What do you think of this tranquil garden? Do let us know in the comments below
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