Several years of gardens are known for their extensive, freely flowing style and seasonal plantings that each landscape can quickly transform into a dreamy environment.
And this flowering Melbourne garden of Andy Murray Landscape Design – completed in 2023 – is a good example.
The backyard of a family home in Preston contains everything, mixed by massaged herbaceous perennials, mixed with Australian native, exotic trees, shrubs and soil covers, which creates a landscape that is equally functional and decorative.
“There was a lot to fit into the garden, including a new pool, a music studio and a shed,” says Andy.
“I wanted the new garden to create a river between all these garden structures and enable generous space for plants and usable areas. The initial layout of pool and studio was important – I didn't want the pool to dominate the room. '
Andy maintains the existing central deck and pergola and designed the new landscape design for these elements.
A vegetable garden is located in the north, and a small rear lawn behind the deck leads to the pool – hidden in the back corner next to the studio.
While the overall planting style is “loose, curvy and fluid”, permeable, planted crazy paving, planted, offers a certain structure in the different rooms.
Paths lead through garden beds, overcrowded with flowering perennials such as Mondado fistulosa (Wildbergamot), Helenium Rubinzwerg (Sneezeweed) and Echinaacea Primadonna (White Konekblower).
Mixed grasses also give the garden with texture Dichondra Rens (kidneyweed) as a ground ceiling and Miscanthus Transmorrisonensis (Evergreen Miscanthus) begins to cover up the pool's steel fence.
Andy said that he moved from the herbal planting from renowned designers in North America and Europe, but the greatest inspirations that influenced the design were primarily horticulture.
“Herbal planting is designed on the plan and changed based on the availability of plant stocks on ancient perennials at the time of the project plants,” he says.
'This must be a little close to the original design of the plan. Although there is always a welcome element of the surprise how gardens come together. '