Mark Bell of Bell Landscapes cautions against minimalism when designing a garden on a small footprint space. ‘There is the perception that using lots of plants encloses the space and makes it feel smaller.’ But rather, he says, empty pockets make the space feel sparse and underwhelming.

By carefully considering the compact dimensions and curating a thoughtful selection of plants, Mark devised a planting scheme of varied textures, shapes and sizes to create an illusion of depth in this suburban Newtown garden. This clever trick of layering is no more apparent that in the ground coverings, which are dense and varied, each offering different heights and textures of foliage.

Mark;s initial brief was to envelope the pre-existing terrace house with greenery. With a rear terrace, rooftop garden and internal courtyard to work with, his focus was to spread the plantings across various levels and sections of the site. Sticking to his maximalist mantra, Mark created lush verdant zones that punctuate the architecture and bring the living spaces to life. Plants literally spill into the hallway when the floor-to-ceiling glass doors slide open!

‘This garden will continue to gain fullness over time, and merge further with the architectural form of the build,’ Mark explains. ‘The roof garden plants will cascade beautifully like green waterfalls from above.’

Bell Landscapes has been engaged on a continuous basis to maintain the Newtown garden and ensure its longevity well into the future!

See more projects from Bell Landscapes here. See more projects from CplusC Architectural Workshop here.

A view onto the rear terrace garden. Photo – Murray Fredericks. Architect – Clinton Cole of CplusC Architectural Workshop.

Plants from the internal courtyard spill into the house when the sliding glass doors are open. Photo – Murray Fredericks. Architect – Clinton Cole of CplusC Architectural Workshop.

Pops of colour and geometry punctuate this urban oasis. Photo – Murray Fredericks. Architect – Clinton Cole of CplusC Architectural Workshop.

The street-side entrance. Photo – Murray Fredericks. Architect – Clinton Cole of CplusC Architectural Workshop.

A view to the front of the house with the internal courtyard in the foreground. Photo – Murray Fredericks. Architect – Clinton Cole of CplusC Architectural Workshop.

The brief was to envelope the newly renovated terrace in greenery from all angles. Photo – Murray Fredericks. Architect – Clinton Cole of CplusC Architectural Workshop.