128 | AUSTRALIAN HOUSE & GARDEN
Sink and swim
The sunken fire-pit area can be
used year-round, and it’s the
perfect post-swim hangout for
teenagers in summer. The
3x4m seating area (including
timber bench seat) can
accommodate up to 15 people.Fringe dwellers
A perennial native grass,
Pennisetum alopecuroides, and
orbs of Japanese box grow
alongside the pool. Planted
along the opposite wall at left
is the round-leafed form of
Kalanchoe ‘Silver Spoons’.All decked out
Peter replaced the old paved patio
with a deep deck and wide steps
that lead down to the pool. Both
decking and steps are in spotted
gum. “I love timber,” says Peter.
“It softens the hardscaping and
works beautifully with sandstone.”GET THE DRIFT
Densely packed garden beds, brimming over with fascinating
combinations of leaf types and textures, are key to this garden. “The
garden owners like quirky plants, so I’ve chosen species that suit their
aesthetic and will thrive without too much work,” says Peter. The bed
shown at left, on the eastern boundary alongside the pool, features
green Santolina fringing the path. Behind it is Kalanchoe ‘Silver Spoons’,
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’, Calamagrostis ‘Overdam’ and silvery Miscanthus.Visual feast
Plants in the foreground show
an interplay of textures, from
the broccoli-like heads of
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ to the
exuberant, velvety grey/green
hues of Kalanchoe beharensis
and neatly clipped box.Brimming beds
This bed contains Mexican lilies,
cotton lavender (Santolina
chamaecyparissus), Helichrysum
and Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’. All were
chosen to suit the conditions of
this east-facing space, which gets
filtered light and extreme shade.