It has been a busy start to the year for the team at Jane Jones Landscapes, especially with the opening of our new design studio and shop at 1444 Malvern Road, Glen Iris. Recently, we were given the pleasure of reinvigorating the facade of a beautiful Victorian house in the leafy suburb of Camberwell. A garden with a selection of solid existing elements or starting blocks, the overall space was too flat and required more structured layers of planting to enhance and soften the street view of the house.

To allow for plantings of varying height we widened the garden beds, which in their original state were far too shallow. The introduction of Pencil Pines, and roses provide taller structural plantings, whilst a newly planted Japanese maple features stunning foliage that is at its coloured peak in the autumn months. Along the fence line, a row of pots coloured like the hawthorn brickwork of the building form a coherent connection between house and garden and provide a mid layer feature.

Making use of an existing central stepping stone path, we repositioned a bench seat at its end to create a destination that gives it a sense of purpose, which also provides a spot for the owner to enjoy their outdoor space.

As we have previously noted, it is underestimated how significantly slight alterations can impact upon the overall look and feel of a garden. The finished result of this project is a re-energised space well suited to this period home.