From the very first moment of meeting my client I knew we were going to have a project of total enjoyment and creativity. My brief was to create throughout garden spaces which offered their own ambiance and uses from top to bottom. The current house and garden had been built into a rock outcrop, meaning we had to work cleverly with the steep topography of the land. With this, the design was able to take full advantage of the beautiful breathtaking views of Port Hacking waters and National Park.

To be able to even start with the creative design a considerable amount of time had to be spent in the various spaces to generate the vision and establish ways of seamlessly interconnecting the various indoor and outdoor rooms. The garden throughout was an unusable array of ground levels falling away independently and not really offering continuity. Here the method of stitching these individual spaces was created and how one could flow from one area to another, accidentally or not.

It was essential to provide my client and visitors with a journey from the very start thus making the experience full off wows and stop and looks. To replicate this aspect as you moved from one garden space (room) to another was felt vitally important.

We also had within our brief the important request to absorb many of my client's sentimental outdoor artifacts. We wanted to place them in a way so to soften and work with the fauna and home structure yet have them placed in a way as to not be seen at first glance from whatever space you where in.

The upper garden was tired and forgotten. It was necessary to design a journey whereby glimpses of the garden would start at the main entrance gate.

The vision for this garden was as follows:

Upon arriving at this home you found yourself sheltered under a simple yet effective modern porch and gate, causing you to stop and peek over to the slip of garden showing. From here you could see the simple tiled path lapped by Liriopes leading your eye to a large natural stone boulder. Quietly resting at the highest point of the rock you could partially make out a peaceful Buddha in amongst small ferns proving a soft seat for his rest. Once through the gate this first glimpse merely became more apparent as you slowly walked towards the Buddha and had a sense of there is more around the corner. You found the path held a large resting step turning you gently around to follow the wide yet randomly placed steps to the front door. Initially you would see a garden of large lush tropical colorful plantings supporting a carved sand stone warrior guarding the path. You would be transfixed by the elements around you either side of the path and slowly arrive at the home's front door. The home is airy and bright in appearance created by the quantity of glass bifolding doors throughout. Just the think when on the hot summer days you can open up and enjoy the freshening effect of the southerly bluster cleansing all the air around. Quickly you realised that you are drawn to either pass into the lounge area offering unbelievable views of the waters below and National Park or the coolness of an airy summer room connected to the home. Not until you turn to the summer room you find in front of you a set of glass floor to ceiling sliding doors beckoning you to the secret garden supporting a comfortable nest of seating and coffee table surrounded by lush plants namely Cordyline fruiticosa Rubra, Kentia palm, Dicksonia antarctica 'Soft Tree Fern' and the sub layer of Rhoeo 'Moses in a Basket', Bambusa lako 'Black Timor', Lepidozamia hopei 'Wunu Palm' and lower ground cover ferns such as the Peacock and Birds nest ferns. The deck you are now standing on covers a very steep section of the garden allowing you to be within the natural plantings and within a total private space. The perimeter fence is softened by the climbing Mandevilla x amoena giving you bright splashes of colour. Once seated you find yourself in a world of rest and contemplation, listening to the sounds of nature about; an area which you could walk past and not know. Hence, the secret garden

Slowly you start seeing detail from your seat that you walked past, like a side path hugging the large stone outcrop going around the house. From here your curiosity gets the better of you and you find yourself starting to explore further. You never saw this path even when you first came in even as it is in line with the porch from where you came. Rounding the corner you find yourself upon a sided board walk with large Tree ferns providing you with canopy. Slowly descending down the steps you find not until the last step you are now confronted by a 180 degree view of beautiful sea blue water and distant National parks. A step created to allow you to stop and just absorb what has just pounced upon you. The lower garden is seen partially from this space. With the seemingly boundary plantings of the Duranta you eye is contained within this level offering you a contrast of lawn and cleverly placed natural stone and pebbles interwoven with a mind is Soleirolia soleirolii 'Baby's Tears' demonstrating it has a mind of its own in a very gentle sereane way all protected under the canopy of the Liquid Ambers showing off their own colours especially in the Autumn. As you step down the sandstone corner steps you find the controlled sense of pavers sunk within the lawn drawing you down a curved path to a set of steps and the subtle glimpse of there being yet a further garden beyond. The now tiled steps are wide and allow for you to share this journey with others and still having the sense of space. The Ornamental Acers either side again taking centre stage with their colour and beautiful leaf structure offer a sense of peace and support your stop and look while your eye looks from right to left and then you find yourself within the lower garden and a space of total privacy and quiet. The retaining wall curved in style seems to disappear around the corner and you find that this holds yet a further space of uniqeness in its own right. You turn and look back from where you came. Above you look up to the home and absorb the openness of the structure finally seeing your friend whom you came to see, looking down to you from the glass sided balcony above, offering you a cool refreshment. Can you remember from where you came as you have absorbed a journey of peace and tranquility yet spaces holding their own ambiance.

This has been one of the most pleasurable gardens to create for one of the kindest persons I have been fortunate enough to know. I find myself popping back occasionally to share a cup of tea and to get my top up of calm.