Sue Stubbs
These gardens by some of the country’s best-known designers won our hearts.
Floating illusion
Brendan Moar won Best In Show with his ‘Suspended’ garden, which paired hard lines with soft, rounded shapes. The shimmering steel ‘S’ planters and hanging chains were set against the black fencing and supports, which made this structure appear to be floating.
Up in the air
“I wanted to create a garden which is all about celebrating the plant,” says Brendan. “The architecture of this structure was driven by that idea.”
An open pergola is a wonderful way to allow nature to provide a shady canopy – try cascades of whispery rhipsalis paradoxa, an ‘air’ plant with aerial roots, to drape from frames.
Bridge building
A timber boardwalk was built to extend across a pond; for a similar look in a moisture-rich spot, try Ekodeck composite boards (from $32.29/5.4m at Bunnings) – unlike hardwood, it doesn’t require oiling or painting.
Light work
Garden designer Phillip Withers, with help from Tida Lighting, created a restful dining area that came into its own after the sun set. The ‘Popper’ pendant light by Lab De Stu made
a focal point of the Tait dining table and chairs, while the Outdeco ‘Star Anais’ Australian hardwood screens were backlit to show off their pretty pattern.
Think vertically
The vibrant greens in this textural vertical garden by Phillip Withers contrasts with the rich patina of the screen.
Natives reinvented
‘September Sky’, the space created by UK designers Andrew Fisher Tomlin and Tom Harfleet, starred a selection of Australian native plants. Eucalyptus trees, gymea lilies, hardy westringia and perennials such as lomandra are ideal for those seeking low-water and low-maintenance outdoor spaces.
The plantings were intermingled with aggregate in different sizes for a stunning dry garden, ranged around a roofless timber pavilion, designed to enjoy clear blue spring skies.
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