Turtle's Run

Small Garden, Water feature Design

For this project the owners primarily asked us to create a garden that functioned for them as place to relax and entertain, while incorporating a habitat for a much loved ‘Eastern Long Neck Turtle’. Our client’s tastes leant towards clean lines, bold shapes and a restrained colour palette… lots of photo’s of contemporary gardens got passed around the table.

Through design we worked towards finding a way to incorporate a natural looking water feature into this style of garden without it being at odds with the rest of the features. By incorporating some earthy tones in the form of large boulders, compacted toppings and textured decking we were able to soften the hard lines and surfaces, while fusing the decking and boulders has really helped integrate the areas into one enjoyable space.

An entirely native planting palette was selected to provide low maintenance, low water usage garden areas. The owners wanted to see plantings that provided colour and texture while keeping flowering displays as a secondary element. Grouping plants and repetition meant that a variety of plants could be used without losing touch with the restrained material palette. Several species of native grasses, low growing shrubs and groundcovers provide a garden that offers up bright silvers contrasting with deep purples, set against both vivid and deep greens. In time the plantings will grow to further soften the lines of the built landscape and really bring the space to life.