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Modern Courtyard

Home Among Gumtrees > Around the House

Modern Courtyard

Landscape designer Ian Barker was given a simple brief by his clients for the courtyard of their modern townhouse: they wanted something easy and something different.

Features of the design

Corrugated galvanized roofing iron was used on the exterior of the building and also for the fencing. Ian continued this theme by constructing the deck from chequer plate galvanized steel, and putting stainless steel ponds and Rudi Jass fountains in front of orange panels. The orange panels are cement sheets painted with Dulux Weathershield in a Mexican Orange colour. They are cheap, simple and effective, yet they look stunning, particularly at night when the lights under the fountains are turned on. Glowing, 'cave art' patterns on the panels create a wonderful focal point for the dining room of the house.

Plants and paving

Ian's theme of elegant simplicity also applies to the planting. A yucca is featured between the two fountains, strelitzias (Strelitzia nicolai), cycads (Cycas revoluta) and dracaenas (Dracaena draco) add foliage contrast and colour, and black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens') is used as edging or 'eye liner' for the garden. This is a very low maintenance garden, requiring only a few hours work every six months to keep it neat and tidy. Yea river pebbles are used with charcoal river stepping stones leading to the middle of the pond.

Further information

Ian Barker
Landscape Designer
Phone: 0410 697 749
The plants used in the design were chosen by Jennie Matthews of Fitzroy Nursery, phone: (02) 9417 7705
Chequer Plate or Floor Plate metal costs about $77 a sheet (1.2m x 2.4m x 2.1mm) and is available from metal merchants.

The orange panels were made from 4mm Hardisheet.

Rudi Jass metalcraft & design
433 Sheffield Road
Montrose
Victoria, 3765
Phone: (03) 9728 3146 Fax:(03) 9728 1334 Email:designs@jassdesign.com.au
Website: http://www.jassdesign.com.au

Prices for Rudi Jass water features range between $1500 and $3500. They are available at the following retail outlets:

VIC
Fitzroy Nursery
390 Brunswick St
Fitzroy
Phone: (03) 9417 7705

Gills Nurseries
1 Centre Rd, Brighton
Phone: (03) 9592 8711
390 Balcombe Rd, Beaumaris
589 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn
115 Bay St (cnr Graham St), Port Melbourne

Cloudehill Nursery
Olinda Monbulk Rd
Olinda
Phone: (03) 9725 1009

WA
Guildford Garden Centre
96 James St
Guildford
Phone: (08) 9279 8645

NSW
Michele Shennen's Garden Centres
132 Penshurst St, Willoughby
Phone: (02) 9958 6631
427 Darling St, Balmain
Phone: (02) 9810 8892
Kelly's Pool World
16 Bridges Rd
New Lambton
Phone: (02) 4957 3616

ACT
Pialligo Plant Farm
12 Beltana Rd
Pialligo
Phone: (02) 6247 5752

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Disclaimer: Burke's Backyard and Backyard Blitz do not accept payment to promote products. All recommendations are genuine. Details on the fact sheets are accurate at the time of publishing, however prices and contact information are not updated and may change.