Perennial PLANTING

Heritage architecture and contemporary living come together in an elaborate canvas of perennial planting and repurposed materials

- KARSHA GREEN

When the homeowners of this 1880s Melbourne property approached Ian Barker Gardens about enhancing their garden and outdoor spaces, it gave the team “a wonderful buzz … and not something we take for granted,” says Ian Barker, designer and director of Ian Barker Gardens. With its symmetrical architecture, Regency-style columns and iron filigree detailing, this home needed a garden to match its grandeur while “giving this ‘old girl’ the surroundings it so richly deserved”.

“Paying homage to the home’s heritage, we worked with existing garden features and hardscape elements to ensure practicality and functionality remained while replenishing its beauty and warmth through the use of seasonal planting and landscape design elements. The brief called for a perennialpacked front garden, keeping with the traditional home, while creating a more contemporary garden at the rear,” says Ian.