Thursday 23 August 2007

The garden of a landscaper

Joanne de Gannes is a well respected and successful landscaper. She has an impeccable eye for detail and an ability to turn her hand at anything. I was fortunate enough to be able to take these pictures in her garden. These topiaries give an Italian feel to this back yard. Despite the fact that there is no grass, the area is green and lush.
Contrasting shapes, textures and shades of green are particularly effective with this tightly clipped miniature duranta hedge.
In this magical bromeliad walkway, filtered light is turned into an advantage by creating a "forest" walkway of princess palms that tower over the bromeliads and ferns below. Clever placement of coral stone gives the bromeliads something to grow onto and provides different heights for varying perspectives. An unusual ground cover of "baby tears" gives a grass like effect with a more textured finish. This area was also home to several varieties of ferns, calatheas and philodendrons.
A sunken copper is the perfect accent piece for this backyard area and leads into the trellissed walkway. Ceramic geese help complete this picture and are a delightful folly.
Variegated miniature orange. Both the fruit and the foliage of this plant are beautiful and carry the mediterranean theme.