Judy and Andreas Sederof love to garden. The couple owns Sunpower Design, a sustainable home building company, and their passion for sustainable design principles extends to their garden. While their sixty-square-metre garden is relatively small, it grows big things. For instance, 150 eggplants in one season!
Our gardens columnist Georgina Reid recently caught up with the couple to chat about their bountiful garden in East Brunswick.
The Sederof family – Andreas and Judy, and their daughter Samantha. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.
Drought tolerant plants like lambs ear (Stachys byzantina) and stonecrop flank the timber entry pathway. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.
Every last centimeter of Judy’s garden is filled with plants. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.
Judy used drought tolerant ornamental plants such as stonecrop (Sedum spp.) in her garden. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.
Drought tolerant plants like lambs ear (Stachys byzantina) and stonecrop flank the timber entry pathway. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.
Low groundcovers such as thyme and chamomile are planted around stepping stones leading to the compost tumbler. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.
Judy has espaliered dwarf fruit trees, like this apple, to maximize usable space in the garden. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.
Judy Sederof’s overachieving garden in Brunswick! Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.
Judy’s indomitable eggplant plant – 150 eggplants later and it’s still going strong! Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.
Pidgeon berry flowers (Duranta repens ‘Geisha Girl’). Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.
A melon! Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.
‘I put my Mum’s ashes underneath the rose and it’s just gone mad,’ says Judy. ‘Its been blooming for eight months now!’ Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.
One of Judy’s roses. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.
A lone sunflower preparing to bloom. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.
A dwarf avocado tree, one of Judy’s many fruit producing trees. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.
The leaves of marigold flowers are edible – throw ‘em in your next salad. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.
A bay tree (Laurus nobilis) growing in a garbage bin. Nice! Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.
The cor-ten steel entry gate, with a single sunflower on the entry path. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.
What a fantastic and inspiring garden! I loved their house when it was featured, so no surprise that they brought such a wonderful sense of style to the external living areas of their home. The repetition of circles between the pavers and screen is so well done, and that sedum and lambs’ ears edging is beautiful. (Sorry to gush!)
Amazing! Love this story. Where can we get help with planning our garden? So very inspiring.
HEY Jen and Katie thanks so much for your comments!
Jen – we love to ‘gush’ ! Thanks so much for your enthusiasm!
Katie – A great question re: garden designer recommendations. Our gardens columnist, Georgina Reid, is an amazing landscape designer (but she’s Sydney based). We really should profile a landscape designer or two… I’ll put the feelers out!
What a beautiful garden. I love your contributions here.
PS. on the studio apartment comparison. as someone who lives in a 24sqm studio, sixty seems quite expansive!
Such an amazing garden ! Love the feel of abundance and homeliness. All the wrought iron is beautiful- I need some stepping stones in my life!!
What a fabulous garden!
What an inspiring garden!! Can’t believe I missed it when you first published it… just love it. Loving the eclectic planting and that fence, and all the details. So abundant and beautiful. Thank you!
This garden is fantastic, i love that every space has been used!! I would be so grateful if you were able to let me know where you sourced your circular pavers from? We are keen to do the same but can’t find large one. Thanks emily