Sustainability: How to Make a Beautiful Garden

Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. – Khalil Gibran

What’s more lovely than spending time with friends outside with a drink in hand, seeing children playing in a garden, or local wildlife gathering around your very own pond? Gardens are at their best when they have a sense of beauty which goes beyond superficial appearances.

It’s imperative to create spaces in a garden to enjoy spending time in to sit, eat and entertain. In contrast to Melbourne, Trentham clients often choose to locate these areas in areas to receive sun and reflected heat to prolong the time they can spend outside.

Image: Locally produced materials such as Mt. William topping are often a more sustainable (and cost effective) solution than using imported paving stone

Insects and animals are one of the main users of a garden and benefit from multi-level planting of trees, shrubs and groundcovers, and access to water. An indigenous section of the garden can add a great educational aspect that doesn’t require additional irrigation or high ‘inputs’ to maintain, as well as great habitat for local critters.

Great Dixter garden in the UK recently did a study and surprisingly found that there was more diversity of wildlife in the garden itself than the surrounding more natural areas. The various habitats provided by the crumbly old stone buildings, rich planting and water features create a diverse range of habitats for local insects.

Soft-space elements (trees and plants) are generally more sustainable than paving or decking. Sometimes a water-permeable gravel area can be cheaper, softer-looking and better for the environment than a paved area. Recycled and locally sourced materials generally have lower ‘embodied energy’ than imported materials.

The quality of the design and build is also crucial: there is no point in creating a garden which needs to be re-done in a couple of years. Make your garden a beautiful place that both you and nature can enjoy together.

Happy gardening,

Landscape Designer Kaz Krasovskis
Insta: @kazkrasovskis
www.kazkrasovskis.com.au