Jane visits an oasis in a tiny suburban courtyard garden in Melbourne. Subscribe đ http://ab.co/GA-subscribe Gardener Jenny Downes has made the most out of her small space, managing to turn âtiny into terrificâ, proving itâs all about thinking big when gardening.
When faced with the disadvantages of a small space she managed to see the potential.
âThe proximity to nature means you are actually closer to nature, and you see things you perhaps wouldnât notice in a bigger garden,â said Jenny.
The only frustration of a limited âgarden paletteâ, was the size of her plants, but even then, Jenny didnât let that stop her.
âI find it creative to use them in another way, to try and create a sort of rainforest effect,â she said,
Jennyâs approach has been to create different interconnecting areas in her garden. The separate decking area with outdoor furniture leads onto a paved path, which she calls her creek bed, creating a âdestination to go toâ or her âforest walkâ.
âWhat you see isnât necessarily all you see, I wanted to be able to walk into the garden and have a bit of an adventure,â she said.
Jenny admitted the dense planting was also used to block a âfew uglyâ views with a large crepe myrtle and several camelias creating a âlittle forestâ. One of the features of the garden, a Japanese maple tree with its âlacy foliageâ also adds to the dense plantings.
Jennyâs real creativity comes to the fore in her quiet intimate sitting area framed with potted hoyas hanging above from a hidden covered clothesline. The dual-purpose area is both a place for relaxation and practicalities with the light plants perfect for hanging off the structure.
No space is too small for Jenny. A feature wall of a variety of potted epiphytes hang from the narrow space between the house and the fence.
âYou can do a lot with plants to cover a wall and keep your house cool,â Jenny said.
âIt brings the outside in, and itâs just really relaxing to be able to see this.â
On the far side of the unit in another narrow walkway dubbed the âThe Bayouâ old manâs beards hang from a seating area, while baby tears edge the pavers of another tight area with espaliered tea tree covering the fence.
âIt doesnât matter how small your space is, your garden is whatever your imagination desires,â Jenny said.
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