Creating gardens as individual as the client, Pollinate Garden Design knows how to deliver external spaces that invite you to stay.
Developed through a love of flowers, Pollinate Garden Design began in
2007 when owner/operator Suzanne Clark was encouraged by friends to begin designing professionally. Although she had no intention of starting a business, her years of gardening with her grandfather, along with a drafting degree, combined to provide the perfect platform for her new venture. Since then, Suzanne has designed and built a plethora of landscapes, each one perfected by listening to clients' needs and wants. As well as offering a full package from design to completion, Pollinate also provides a consultation service to assist clients in exploring their garden's potential.
SOUTH GUILDFORD
This freshly built home was begging for a garden that took advantage of the northern light while adhering to sustainable landscaping concepts.
The owners wanted 'everything', and were happy to let Suzanne come up with a design that incorporated key elements of their ideas. Bordered by ModWood composite decking, the main garden features a collection of fruit trees, grasses and coloured flowers, all based on lighter colours to reflect the heat of the northern sun.
At the heart of the garden, a fire pit has been created using a traditional flemish bond style of bricklaying with the header sitting proud. Rainbow stone under the fire urn is continued in a patch under the garden's main focal point –
a rusted metal stag sculpture. Viewed from certain points in the yard, the stag is set against beautiful lush hedges and plantings, appearing to 'walk' through a meadow.
Closer to the house, an edible living wall makes use of a bare site, boasting an array of herbs, vegetables and marigolds to ward off pests.
The family, with four teenage children, absolutely adore their new garden, to the
point that the kids won't leave it, preferring instead to spend time with their friends
around the fire pit.
GUILDFORD
Set beside the Swan River on Fish Market Reserve, this property was just a house and no garden. The owners had no real idea in regards to a specific style, so they entrusted Suzanne to create something magical, while keeping within the home and location's historic ambience. It also need to be relatively low maintenance because the owners were upfront in saying they were 'not gardeners'.
The final design endeavours to look like a house in a garden. Being so close to the river, the ground consisted of thick clay that was extremely difficult to penetrate and arduous to work with.
Adopting a French-style of planting, the garden abounds in rows and clusters of lilly pilly, London plane trees, foxgloves and terraced hedging. Dotted throughout are clay urns with topiary trees, adding a distinct classic style to the landscaping.
Boundaries have been gently treated with arbours and planting in order to blend with the riverscape, while the 'crab-apple' walk looks down towards the water.
One of the most striking elements to this garden is undoubtedly the old well, originally part of the homestead, which was built by Malay servants in the early 1900s. It has been completed with a classic turret, an iconic feature throughout this historic region. This well is also accessible to the public, while still somewhat connected to the garden.
The close planting of all these components has created a self-support system, whereby the need for watering is relatively minimal, despite the lushness of the landscaping.