The next two landscapes from the Australian Garden Show Sydney in ‘The Inspirational Gardens’ section are both Bronze winners: Brent Reid’s CACHE, and THE LEARNING GARDEN, a design collaboration led by Penny Hand and Kate Low for Northern Sydney Institute, Ryde Campus, NSW TAFE.

CACHE 

Willy Wildlife’s birdbath featuring parrots added to the charm of Cache.

Constructed by Semken Landscaping, and designed by Brent Reid from Candeo Design  CACHE was a relaxed garden with an open arbour delineating the terrace.

Willy Wildlife‘s snail came all the way from Melbourne for the event then tried to hide amongst the plantings. We could still see him though.

Large paving Anston pavers led up to the terrace.

Open weave arbour.

A hedge of lush, deep green Elaeocarpus eumundii snugly embraced the terrace, while five Brachychiton acerifolius provided highlights in the backdrop.

Boys’ toys on the terrace.

Designer Brent Reid

Northern Sydney Institute (Ryde)

THE LEARNING CENTRE

Great to see this collaboration resulting in such an appealing and interesting garden.

Construction: Dave Walker, Dave Cornell and full-time Certificate 3 Landscape Construction Students 2014.

Designers Kate Low and Penny Hand quote Gertude Jekyll:

“A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.”

Kate and Penny describe this garden as a learning journey, sometimes a smooth and direct path, along which you pick up skills or knowledge; and at other times it’s more convoluted.  They suggest the way through could be straight up the grass incline to the end point, or alternately meandering through the grid.

The Horticulture Facility at Ryde Campus embraces design, environmental management, construction, urban horticulture, arboriculture, turf and plant propagation in the quest for sustainable gardens that are beautiful, but not costing the earth.

Four more designs still to come… keep an eye on your inbox!