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This Victorian home in Prahran strikes just the right balance between tradition and modernity after a thoughtful makeover of its landscaping.
The project began as a light refresh, with the owner Prue engaging Saint Remy to reconcile some of her property’s key challenges in the front and rear outdoor areas; from improving unsteady steps to updating some of the tired-looking plantings.
‘Before we began, the garden carried a very traditional feel,’ says Saint Remy designer director and founder, Seam Lam.
‘The front entry, with its generous bluestone steps leading to the Victorian facade, was framed by clipped buxus hedges and a pair of weeping cherry trees.
‘Out the back, the courtyard was dominated by mature pear trees that left the space feeling cold and closed in.’
After spending more time getting to know Prue and her garden, Seam proposed a bigger transformation, reimagining the entire site to improve accessibility and create new spaces that shift with the seasons.
‘Our vision began by responding to the architecture itself,’ she adds.
‘The house has such presence and scale, and we saw an opportunity to counterbalance that formality with a garden that felt softer, lighter and more expressive.’
In the front yard, Saint Remy embraced a diverse combination of naturalistic plantings.
Flowering perennials like Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus Superior’ (purple coneflower) and Rudbeckia fulgida speciosa (Showy Black-Eyed Susan) inject colour and a newfound sense of personality, without overwhelming the facade.
In spring and summer, these flowers pop up everywhere like a coral reef. By autumn, the tones become muted, allowing the evergreen tapestry of ornamental grasses and groundcovers to take centre stage.
Meanwhile, the new rear courtyard is more consistent. Narrow garden beds at the perimeter feature the dense foliage of Ligularia reniformis (tractor seat plant) and Arthropodium cirratum (New Zealand rock lily) with climbers stretching across the walls.
New limestone brick paving from Eco Outdoor creates a perfect dining setting, enhanced by the new built-in barbecue bench and a water feature. The real drama comes when the deciduous Toona sinensis (Chinese cedar trees) turn flamingo pink in spring.
Seam says the resulting landscaping sparks joy for Prue, her neighbours, and even just people passing by in the neighbourhood.
‘This is a very Saint Remy garden — sharp and sophisticated in parts, wild and naturalistic in others,’ Seam says.
‘There’s a painterly quality to the front garden. And a tranquil courtyard. If we had a philosophy, it’s that we create gardens that make your heart sing.’ And this garden does just that!
