A Formal Affair

To draw the eye away from a retaining wall and achieve an elegant, formal garden design, Nadia Matijevic must employ a “less is more” design approach

- Karsha Green

In Kingswood, Adelaide, a residence with bold, red-brick architecture required a garden that matched the home’s striking aesthetic. The homeowners dreamed of an elegant, formal garden with lush green foliage, a water feature, roses and hedging. Their love of autumn also meant the planting palette had to support a yellow and orange colour spectrum while complementing the architecture and wider landscape. Extra amenities for the design brief included a swimming pool, fences to be hidden, a lawn and space to entertain, as well as a welcoming ambience.

Nadia Matijevic, landscape designer at Adelaide Garden Design, conceptualised the garden, while Phil Rogers of Pave Plus brought her ideas to life. Separated into a front and back garden, both spaces needed to embrace the elegant, formal aesthetic while still playing their unique part in the home’s functionality and lifestyle.

The front garden was designed by Nadia with the intention of welcoming guests as well as the homeowners when they returned from a long day. Surrounded by tightly clipped Buxus japonica and bearded iris, the main focus is a water feature with custom-made, glazed bowl to complement the colour of the home’s timber detailing. “It provides a trickling sound that’s both calming and inviting when entering or sitting in the private front garden,” Nadia says.