Northcote 2

Completed in early 2021 this garden is designed around a Victorian cottage in Northcote, beautifully reimagined by interior designers Pipkorn Kilpatrick.

The garden centers on a planting palette dominated by Australian natives, exotic grasses as well as Euphorbia, and groundcovers. We used locally sourced Australian Bluestone billets from Bamstone as paving material, as they allow for curves while retaining structure with the planted gaps.

The rear fences were all removed and reinstated to incorporate the new retaining below. This bought the entire garden up just one step below the new deck to make the garden more usable. A large pergola incorporates an ornamental grape to reduce the intensity of the summer sun within the house. As well as providing generous and cool space for a large outdoor dining table. A small indigenous lawn of Weeping Grass ‘Microlaena stipoides’ was initially planted with tube stock and oversown with seed. This blended into the Pratia ground cover providing a low-water / shade-tolerant lawn option that didn’t require too much regular mowing in a small space. As well as allowing the edges to blend and spread within the surrounding planting. Round black steel posts were added with hooks for the hammock in summer, as well as a fire pit for the cooler months. It is a garden maximized to be enjoyed all year round.

Interior Designer Pipkorn Kilpartick

Photography Martina Gemmola | Andy Murray