Contemporary Garden #1
This garden may have room for a tiny lawn or you may prefer none at all. Views may be compromised by proximity to neighbours and shared fences but by making clever use of the colour green it is possible to look out at a beautiful garden. There may only be room for a limited number of trees so we stay within a completely evergreen theme with Magnolia Little Gem espaliered along fences and use Acer Bloodgood with delicate-coloured leaves as a feature in a courtyard. Flowers may not be a priority in this garden but there is plenty of opportunity for interest in clever combinations of texture by using crisp double hedging of differing leaf size to border outdoor areas. There are several options for hedge types but two obvious choices are the easy but tough Prunus Lusitanica for the taller hedge and Buxus Sempervirens for the lower hedge. Carefully positioned evergreen grass Lomandra Lime Tuff adds movement and provides another contrasting form and texture. The use of paving and decking can mirror the contemporary colour palette of the house with entrance ways indicated with grouped edgy pots in colourways that complement the building materials. These can be repeated in outdoor courtyard areas. A crisp, minimal relatively easy garden - with irrigation installed and a couple of trims of the hedges during the year to keep this garden looking fabulous.
Plants and plant spacing:
Prunus Lusitanica hedge 70cm
Buxus Sempervirens hedge 20cm
Lomandra Lime Tuff 60cm
Magnolia Little Gem 3m
Acer Bloodgood 3m
Foliage colour: Green and burgundy
Flower Colour: White
Uses: A small but smart contemporary garden contained within tidy hedging.
Plants in this Palette
Prunus lusitanica
Prunus lusitanica
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Prunus lusitanica, commonly known as Portuguese laurel, is a lush, evergreen shrub known for its deep green, glossy leaves and delicate white flower clusters. This plant offers a classic elegance to any garden space, making it a favourite for creating structured designs like hedges and privacy screens.
In the garden, Prunus lusitanica is highly versatile. It can be used as a standalone feature plant, providing a dense and compact form, or it can be clipped into formal shapes, making it ideal for topiary or hedging. Its ability to withstand regular pruning allows gardeners to maintain a neat, tidy appearance year-round. The Portuguese laurel thrives in a variety of garden styles, from formal to woodland settings, and its dense foliage provides excellent shelter for wildlife.
Preferring a position in full sun to partial shade, Prunus lusitanica adapts well to most soil types, provided they are well-draining. It appreciates moist, but not waterlogged, conditions, ensuring healthy growth and the development of its small, fragrant white flowers that appear in early summer.
When planting Prunus lusitanica, spacing should be considered based on its intended use; for a thick hedge, plants should be spaced approximately 60-90cm apart. For individual specimens, allowing more room for growth will enable the shrub to form a naturally rounded shape.
Mature Prunus lusitanica can reach up to 4-6m in height and 2-4m in width if not trimmed, making it an impressive addition to the landscape with its robust size and elegant appearance.
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Buxus sempervirens
Buxus sempervirens
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Buxus sempervirens, commonly known as common box, is a classic evergreen shrub known for its dense, small-leaved foliage and versatile, slow-growing habit. Its dark evergreen leaves provide a lush, continuous backdrop in gardens throughout the year.
Buxus sempervirens is ideal for formal hedges, edging, parterres, and topiary. Its dense growth habit and ability to tolerate heavy pruning make it a favorite for creating structured garden elements, such as balls, cones, or more intricate shapes. It suits a variety of garden styles, from formal to cottage, and can be used in small and large landscapes alike to add evergreen structure and define garden spaces.
Common box prefers full sun to partial shade and thrives in well-drained, slightly alkaline to neutral soil. It is adaptable to a range of conditions, though it requires protection from strong winds and excessive winter wetness. For hedge planting, a spacing of about 20-30 cm is recommended to achieve a dense, seamless barrier.
Can be kept as low as 30cm in height, but will grow to 1m tall if kept untrimmed.
The image shown is our 6-pack.
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Lomandra Lime Tuff
Lomandra Lime Tuff
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Lomandra Lime Tuff is a compact and extremely hardy Australian native grass. Known for its bright, fine foliage that maintains its lush appearance even in challenging conditions, this plant offers year-round visual appeal. It presents as a neat mound of arching lime-green leaves that gives a soft, lush look.
Lomandra Lime Tuff is renowned for its hardiness, being both drought and frost resistant and tolerating a range of soils. It performs exceptionally well in full sun to part shade and requires minimal maintenance once established, making it an excellent choice for borders, mass plantings or as a low-maintenance garden filler. It has compact growth habit of around 0.5m high and wide.
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Magnolia Little Gem
Magnolia Little Gem
Magnolia grandiflora Little Gem is a type of magnolia tree ideal for smaller gardens and as a street tree, due to its compact, narrowly-columnar growth habit. This tree has glossy, deep-green leaves with brown felt underneath and produces white, citrus-scented flowers from spring through autumn. It is also tolerant of poorly-drained positions. The leaves of Magnolia grandiflora Little Gem typically measure 12.5cm long by 5cm wide. This evergreen tree is native to the southeastern United States. 6m x 4m after ten years.
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Acer Bloodgood
Acer Bloodgood
Acer palmatum Bloodgood is one of the most popular and hardy varieties of Japanese maples, celebrated for its reliable and vibrant deep purplish-red foliage that lasts throughout the season. In spring, the leaves emerge with a brilliant red colour, intensifying to a deep burgundy as they mature. The tree maintains this rich hue into the autumn, providing a striking contrast against the landscape. It also features small purplish-red flowers that enhance its decorative appeal.
Bloodgood is an excellent choice for creating dramatic focal points in diverse garden settings, from modern minimalist to traditional Japanese gardens. It thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers moist, well-drained soil with a slightly acidic pH. This variety is known for its excellent colour retention and resistance to sunburn, especially in cooler climates.
Acer palmatum Bloodgood reaches a mature height of about 4-6m with a spread of about 3-5m. Its robust size and vivid foliage make it a standout choice for adding structure and colour to any garden.
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