Going the whole nine yards

When it came to landscaping and greening the outdoors of a high-end property, going the whole nine yards was par for the course.

Admittedly, a pat formula for designing a garden landscape simply does not exist but a good place to begin would be to understand who you are and what you want in a garden while keeping in mind the existing site features, boundaries, municipal laws, availability of materials, ideas and turnaround time.

“And it certainly didn’t hurt when money was no object and that the owner kept an open mind to our ideas and suggestions,” admits landscape designer, YK Tang of Just Right Design. “However, the bottom line was that we should make the most of the outdoor spaces,” adds Tang.

While Just Design was commissioned with designing the landscape, another landscape company, Nature Decor, was roped in for the logistics and landscape planting work. The finished product was an outdoor sanctuary that not only resonates with owners and guests all year long but one which is a fitting tribute to the stately property located within a gated community.

Tang nails down some key features in getting this garden off the ground.

Setting out a “Selamat Datang” mat

Plantings such as palm trees, lush shrubs and thick groundcover outside the walls create an inviting atmosphere and soften the buttoned-up appearance of this impressive property. On entering the imposing wooden gates into the driveway, the visitor is at once greeted at the front yard with a lush planting of trees and shrubs, among which a trio of gardenia carinata trees decked with vivacious fragrant flowers perk up the front garden instantly. As an added bonus, at certain times of the year, the trees will shed their blooms, rolling out a luscious natural carpet of welcome on the driveway.

Seeing spaces

A trick of the landscape trade in making the garden look larger is by creating hidden nooks or areas with a “come-hither” dimension. In the case of this decidedly irregular structure of the house, hidden areas come aplenty. The raised beds and borders, paved pavilion terrace and the curved koi pond contribute to an element of surprise and beckon visitors to venture into the garden.

Incorporating vertical dimensions into the garden is another nifty way of making a garden seem larger, such as by varying the surface and level of the garden ground, and introducing plants of varying heights and structures such as the cengal timber pergola and the pavilion. Built-in furniture such as the cengal bench hugging the perimeter of the koi pond is a space-saving solution and acts as part of the overall composition.

Constructing an imposing crescent-shaped pergola to shade a curved walkway that wraps around the koi pond is another versatile device that has been employed to make the space look larger while extending the garden vertically.

Bringing the outdoors in

Unobstructed views of the outdoors through large expanses of glass and generously sized doorways not only expand the indoor living areas but lure the owners and visitors alike into the garden grounds.

Architectural and specimen plants that offer an array of rich details such as colours, textures and shapes are also planted near the guest room and dining area which besides contributing to an intriguing view from the window also encourage the visitors to enjoy the garden spaces close to the house.

A pair of frangipani trees planted in the courtyard and specially selected for their sculptural form can also be viewed from the indoor living rooms through the many glass walls, doors and windows. Sporadically planted trees in the corners and nooks around the house not only blur the line between the indoors from the outdoors but provide much needed shade and shield the house from prying eyes.

Celebrating with friends & family

There is something decidedly convivial about entertaining good friends in an outdoor living space amidst the soothing sound and sight of moving water. The back terrace built within a pavilion structure with its pebbblewash flooring set flush with the koi pond is the ideal outdoor room to hold a barbecue feast and do a spot of anecdote telling or for morning coffee or afternoon tea, or simply to watch the symphony of movements of fish in the pond.

With wide steps leading from the terrace down to the walkway outfitted with a long bench hugging part of the koi pond, guests can stretch their limbs after the satiating meal and travel along a path with unexpected turns along the length.

The space around the walkway can also be modified as the needs of family change. A play structure or a spacious swing set can be installed on the lawn area when the grandchildren arrive or it could be transformed into a small orchard or an organic vegetable patch. After all, a meaningful garden design is always evolving even as passions and needs will surely change.